


Eli Ayase and The Obsidian Seal

by IcarusWings87



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Adventure, Beasts!, F/F, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them AU, Fantasy, I'll add more tags as they come up, KotoUmi side pairing, Let's call this a slow burn, Lily White Siblings, Magic Ahead, Minor Character Death, Newt Schamander Eli, Nozoeli main pairing, This is my twist, fyi this does not follow the plot of the movie, harry potter world AU, magical au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-13
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2018-11-13 12:13:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 31,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11184894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcarusWings87/pseuds/IcarusWings87
Summary: When Magizoologist Eli Ayase travels to Tokyo, she finds herself a stranger in a strange land. The city is frightening and unfamiliar to her after spending years working with magical beasts in the wild. But despite her reservations she must navigate it to locate one of the most precious people in her life - her sister, Alisa, who has been taken.With years of experience of handling dangerous creatures at her disposal, will Eli be able to find Alisa while simultaneously dealing with being around the most dangerous creatures on the planet: Human Beings?





	1. The Magizoologist

The dishes in the cupboard rattled violently. The pounding on the front door grew louder, making everyone within the little house extremely on edge. A number of voices could be heard from outside, their owners hidden just behind the large wooden door. The violence of the knocks increased and flashes of lights sparked just beyond the windows. A slew of spells had just been added to the barrage, resounding powerfully off the side of the house.

“Babu, what’s happening? It’s so loud.”

A young girl crouched in the far corner of the kitchen, her blonde hair had fallen into her face as she tried to cover her ears with her shaking hands. She desperately tried to block out the noise.

“Alishka! Breathe. Stay calm. It’ll be okay.” The old woman tried to reassure her Granddaughter, her Russian accent was thick and carried over the sound of the intruders. The chaos continued but the old woman’s focus on the girl never wavered.

Her body was pressed against the inside of the door as she tried to barr it from the intrusion even as it rumbled against her back. She had her wand out and she cast her second shielding spell of the evening. She knew they would need it if it kept up. She was trying her best to keep it together for the young girl but her eyes showed fear. It was the middle of the night when the worst of the monsters came out - and this time those monsters were other wizards.

“You’d be wise to let us in!” a man’s deep voice came from outside the house. His voice sounded magically amplified for effect. “Just give us the girl and no one has to get hurt.”

There were more flashes of light as the intruders aimed them at the protective charms of the house. They bounced off but the old woman knew that the protections wouldn’t last much longer. Each spell chipped away at the remaining time she had left to protect her Granddaughter.

“I’m scared,” the girl cried. Her small body was vibrating with fear. “I can’t...focus...what’s happening?”

“Focus, Alishka.” The old woman was at the girl’s side in an instant, her arms wrapped around her. The girls skin felt like it was full of static as she held her, comforting her. There was no stopping it once she got upset. A sharp spark made the old woman flinch but she held fast to the girl. “Don’t let it control you,” she whispered.

The room exploded with light as the protection charms on the house dissipated. The door splintered under the force of the magic and three men stepped inside, their wands still raised.

“We told you not to resist, you foolish woman.” A hooded man said as he stepped in behind the others. His heavy boots crushed the fragments of the door beneath them as he came farther into the room.

“You monster! Leave this place! You have no business here! You have no right!” The old woman cried, her wand brandished at them. Her other arm clutched the cowering girl tightly against her as she shielded her with her body.

The girl had begun to mutter to herself, her words making little to sense as they blended with her sobs. Her mind was on the verge of breaking as she began to violently shake and turn in on herself. “No, not like this...no...Babu...”

The woman turned her attention back to the girl. Calming her down was a priority. “Sssh. Sssh. Alishka, Babushka is here and I won’t let them take you.”

The hooded man laughed; the sound sent shivers down her spine. She didn’t dare look at him. Not yet. She needed a plan.

For a moment, her wand wavered. She knew what to she had to do. She only hoped it would work. She whispered something inaudible to the girl a second before she pushed the girl behind her, completely. Her gaze landed on the hooded man and she she stared him down. He smiled which made the old woman mad. Her wand seemed to straighten out as she vowed to protect her Alishka.

“You’re foolish.” The man remained unmoved by either her show of emotion or her threat. “Now for the last time, hand her over.”

“You can’t have her,” the old woman spat. “I won’t let you have her,” She yelled.

“That’s cute to think that you’d be able to stop me.” The man smirked. “But fine. Have it your way.”

His wand was out in a flash, his spell hitting the old woman as her spell missed him by a few inches. The blinding jet of green light hit the old woman squarely in the chest.

The girl screamed as she watched her Grandmother’s body fall to the ground; her chest heaving as she struggled to breath.

The girl could feel the edges of her vision begin to blur as she stared down at the dying form of her Grandmother.

“Be brave, Alishka.” the old woman coughed, blood staining the edge of her lips. She brought her hand to the girl's cheek, allowing the last of her warmth to linger there. “And remember, I will always love you.”

The woman’s wand raised one last time as a sliver of silver mist poured from its tip, taking the form of a large bear as it rushed towards their attackers. The intruders were knocked out of the way as it charged through them and out of the door and roared. It was quickly out of sight as it rushed to where ever it was going. “Save her, Elishka...” her voice was barely above a murmur as she used her last breath.

The men turned to chase the creature.

“A patronus. How cute.” The man laughed derisively. “Leave it.” He signaled to his lackeys. “No need to chase it. It doesn’t affect what we’re here to do. By the time it reaches where it is going it’ll be too late. We have what we came for.”

The small girl was sobbing with abandon, large tears falling onto her cheeks and shirt as she clutched her Grandmother’s lifeless body to her. If this were a fairy tale, her tears might have revived the old woman; her spirit returning from death via the power of love and devotion that the girl showed as she protected her Grandmother’s body. But this wasn’t a fairy tale and her Grandmother would never wake again.

The reality of the girl’s situation was sinking in but her vision was nearly gone. She couldn’t understand what was happening now. The world didn’t make sense. All she knew was that her mind was beginning to split. It had been a long time since the last time it had happened but the feeling was always the same. Pure agony; loss of control. And she hated every second of it.

“Come Alisa,” The hooded man said without care. “There is nowhere for you to go now.”

She didn’t know how he knew her name but it didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to be Alisa for much longer. She tried to quell the chaos inside but she was losing the battle - and fast.

When the girl didn’t respond to him, the man shook his head. “Pathetic. You should have learned from your Grandmother’s _useless_ sacrifice.”

He gestured to the two men beside him. They stepped forward to grab Alisa. When their fingers wrapped around her arms, she lost control, unable to maintain control for another moment longer as the man’s comment mixed with her grief and anger.

The room shattered; a cacophony of noise filling it as everything in it was torn to pieces as Alisa disappeared in a cloud of dark grey matter and dust. She was barely visible inside, her face stretching in pain, her screams feeding into the intensity of the scene. The men recoiled in agony, letting go of the girl and trying to escape. But it was no use. They were torn apart within moments as the power lashed out from her in wisps and tendrils and threatened to tear her apart.

The wind around the property howled violently mirroring the girl’s emotions. The minutes passed and the devastation raged. And when everything was ash and blood, the girl gave in to her exhaustion, her body lying limp in the middle of it. The bodies of the men lay lifeless and ragged around her.

The eerie silence was broken by the sound of boots crunching through the rubble. The hooded man stepped out from behind the stone fireplace that still stood, though it was worse for wear. His quick thinking and even quicker wand work had allowed him to survive the magical torrent, but just barely. The hood had been blown off, revealing short black hair and a well manicured goatee. The blood dripped from his face as he staggered over to the fainted girl. His wounds were painful but he would endure. Healing would come once he had achieved his objective.

He knelt down and scooped the girl up. He gazed upon her pained, sleeping face with awe and terror.

“Such power...” he whispered hoarsely as the girl shuddered in her sleep.

And then they were gone; nothing left but ruins in their wake.

\---

**_::Weeks Later::_ **

The countryside rushes by. The blur of trees and sky blends together as the train speeds towards central Tokyo. It’s on time as usual and filled with dozens of passengers going about their daily routines. The boring and average mix in with the dull and desperate as they flounder through the normalcy of their everyday lives. Each person daydreaming about something that might make their day a little more interesting than just the daily grind and lead them to something greater than just a standard trip to the capital. But the only remarkable thing that will happen to them today they will never notice. Because today the train carries a normal looking passenger whose normalcy is nothing but fallacy.

At the back of the train, sits a tall woman with her blonde hair tied into a high, messy ponytail. The blue of her long coat stands out against the grey of the seat where it has bunched and wrinkled beneath her, going unnoticed since she first boarded. Her white shirt and tan vest provide a nice contrast against her dark grey slack. And her boots are a sturdy, well-worn brown. If one came close enough, they might think they were an exotic snake skin judging by the pattern on the leather or perhaps even alligator. But those with a more discerning eye and touch more of unusual knowledge - _magical knowledge_ \- would recognize them as Dragonhide.

The motion of the train is steady, allowing the her to watch the scenery undisturbed. If one was to catch a close enough glimpse of her they would notice the way her blue eyes catch the light that they appear grey under the veil of the cloudy day, but perhaps that’s only the mood in which our mystery stranger finds herself. A mood which makes her clutch the medium-sized suitcase in her lap just an iota closer to her, seeking comfort in the object as she runs her hands methodically over the edges of the reinforced leather. She can feel each scratch and detail, recognizing their placement through memory. They are exactly where they were the last time she did this.

The trains speeds closer and closer to its destination and as a jostling of train on the tracks causes her to sharply shift her position, one of the brass latches on the case pops open as in response to being so abruptly moved.

The case beneath rumbles and shakes but the woman steadies it with practiced ease against her. The click of the metal latch had caught her attention immediately, her fingers moving to secure it back into the locking mechanism once more. When she does, she idly runs her thumb over the metal plate on the top. It’s been engraved with her name: Eli Ayase.

Eli glances to her right checking to see if anyone had noticed the slight commotion. Once she is satisfied, she leans forward, her lips just inches away from the leather.

“Settle down in there...” Eli murmurs in a calm, soothing voice. “It won’t be much longer, now.”

Eli tilts her head, listening. A smirk gracing her lips before she lets out a low laugh, the air flow blowing a few strands of loose hair out of her face in the process. “Yes. Yes. I know. But for now, _settle_ down.”

When Eli sits back in her seat and she feels a pair of eyes upon her that hadn’t been there before. Her gaze darts around in the direction of the feeling, catching the blurred movement of a brown-haired woman looking away and a man in grey suit attempting to hide behind his newspaper; his sudden interest in the print of the upside down politics section doing a poor job of hiding his previous nosiness.

Even with the paper upside down Eli can read the headlines.

 

_MYSTERIOUS MURDERS STUMP AUTHORITIES_

_“A string of deaths have officially been ruled by local authorities as murders. Each victim was found with severe bruising to their face and neck as well as their torso. While the bruising does not appear to be the cause of the death it appears to be a symptom of the attack. Authorities are still uncertain how the subjects died, only that they died near instantaneously. No suspects or leads have been named in the case. (More information on page 4...)”_

 

_CITIZEN SAFETY OF HIGHEST CONCERN_

_"_ _Citizens of Tokyo are being warned to use caution when traveling through the city, especially at night. The recent string of violent attacks and murders have heightened the police patrols around the clock but even with increased security and the additional precautions taken, Police are providing a slew of tips to keep you and your family safe in these troubling time. (For a list of safety tips, See Page 5...)”_

 

With her mind thinking on the strange events of the Mijukuna newspaper (it didn’t even have moving portraits!), Eli looks out of the window and focuses on the scenery that is passing by. As she turns her attention away from the train and to her personal thoughts, those around her begin to forget about her once more. It’s a talent of hers, blending in while still being the consummate outsider. It’s the space in between that she lives in.

Eli still sometimes wonders why she is so different in that regard. Some people in her life have suggested it might be a natural talent of hers; a natural cloaking magic that shields her from notice is she’s not actively doing anything. These thoughts about herself thought join the rest of the chaos in her head, causing her to impatiently drum her fingers against the case case in her lap. She stands out by the very nature of her mixed genetics. Tall, blonde, blue eyes, and a bit too lanky for a normal girl. She’d spent many of her formative years with the eyes of others upon her and while she doesn’t like it but she’s long since moved past the stage of needing to ask people to stop. She accepts it even if she doesn’t understand people. Keeping to herself is always the better option, anyway. Still, she can feel the annoyance creep up her spine. Eli isn’t sure what it is. She uses it to her benefit and right now she’s thankful for it. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad if there weren’t all these Mijukuna around her but there is no helping that fact. Besides, it would still be the same if there were wizards around her. But that’s a thought for another day.

The green and lush of the countryside begins to give way more and more to grey and browns; the industrial tone of the city. The closeness of her destination causes Eli to fidget in her seat.

“Now approaching Tokyo Station. Please make sure you have all of your belongs as you prepare to deboard.” The conductor’s voice carries through the car. He makes his way down the aisle, clipping tickets a final time as railroad protocol dictates. “Please remain seated until the train comes to a complete stop.”

She checks the vest pocket that holds her watch, she pulls it out, opening the brass casing with a click. The train is one minute behind schedule it appears but that inconvenience suits Eli well. She’s not really ready to begin the arduous task in front of her but she must. She checks that nothing is out of place and that her case is still latched tightly, flicking a small switch on the side of one of the locks, sliding a ‘Miju-Worthy’ precaution into place just in case the conductor or any of the staff decides they want to open and check its contents. That’s the other downside of looking like a foreigner in a country you were born in: you always get treated like one.

It’s when she’s checking the last of her jacket pockets to make sure her wand hasn’t fallen out of its holster pocket that she hears someone clear their throat above her. Looking up slowly, she locks eyes with the conductor. His eyebrow is raised expectantly and he makes a small motion with his hand as if she doesn’t understand what he is saying so he has to pantomime it.

“Ticket, please.” He says as he watches Eli with his dreary brown eyes.

Eli’s not good with people. She’s not around them much to be fair, though that’s by choice. But she can’t conceal the curiosity as she examines this Miju in his nature habitat: work. She wonders if this is the highlight of his day - a pause in his routine, someone not complying immediately.

He clears his throat again, more impatiently this time. Eli feels embarrassed, realizing she had been staring. Her expression falls into a neutral coldness as she tries not to fumble around as she pulls her ticket from an inner coat pocket. At last she hands it over, apologizing quietly to the Miju conductor. A sharp _click_ and _snip_ of his punch making gizmo and the ticket is back in her hands.

“Thank you,” he says as he walks away, tipping his conductor hat. “Enjoy your stay in Tokyo, Miss.”

Eli doesn’t answer, but she nods politely to him. He’s already turned his attention from her anyway, so her response doesn’t matter. She slumps in her seat and her hand slips back into the inside pocket of her coat, fingers grazing the edge of an envelope whose contents have been unfolded, read, and refolded a hundred times before placing them back in the envelope.

 _‘I’ll find you.’_ Eli thinks as the shrill whistle of the train signals the arrival of the train.

A moment later, she and the other passengers lurch forward as the train applies its brakes and begins to slow. It won’t be long now.

\---

The atmosphere of the platform is stifling. The pressure of the crowd around Eli causes her to move as quickly as her Dragonhide boots can take her. Anxiety threatens to consume her as she squeezes through the slim gaps in the crowd that flow on and off of the platform as they go on their way to wherever they are headed. She makes it out of the pack of people and up to the street level, her case clenched as tightly against herself as she can get it. She’s not used to this many people and it shows as she struggles to catch her breath.

The crowd on the sidewalk may be smaller than the one below, but Eli still has to keep walking to avoid getting yelled at or pushed out of the way. So, she lets herself go with the flow as she figures out where she’s ended up.

She has to keep walking for several moments until she spots a sign at the corner. Luck isn’t with her today. She’s farther away from her intended place than she wants to be. Whipping her head around a few times to compare her options, she decides to duck out of the crowd to cross the street. She narrowly avoids getting hit by the motorcars passing by, the honking of their horns startling her only momentarily into stopping. She’s still in the way, so they honk again and take off their hats and wave them out the window at her to show their frustration. Her feet are moving again.

In a minute she’s off down the block and back on the safety of the sidewalk and traffic behind her resumes its roaring chaos. The new age of industrialism had changed the city drastically since the last time Eli had visited. The smog coming from the cars is already sticking itself to her clothing. She’s only been there less than twenty minutes and she can feel the cageyness of the city drawing in on her.

Finding herself going in the right direction at last, Eli’s nerves deaden a bit as a determined calm settles about her. She’s focused and no one is paying attention to her as she takes a shortcut through an alley and out onto a side street. She thinks she remembers the area. She stops and looks, her case held more casually at her side now.

This place seems familiar, giving off a ‘I’ve been here before vibe’, one that brings memories of her Grandmother holding her hand and guiding her through these very streets as a child. She should be excited, retracing those steps she took so long ago but her excitement can’t overcome the low pit of worry in her stomach. She hasn’t visited Tokyo since she was a child; it had been before Alisa had been born and her Grandmother had taken her around to see some of the sights and the shops. But that was a long time ago and Eli needs to stay focused and in the present. No use wandering down memory lane with her task ahead of her.

Even with the feeling of familiarity, Eli isn’t certain she’s going in the right direction. It’s another three blocks before she is able to admit that to herself; always the stubborn one. She sighs and ducks into the alcove of a closed store front.

Reaching into her jacket, she pulls out her wand and holds it up.

“ _Point Me!_ ” She whispers to it.

The core inside responds rapidly as it always does; the Larch wood wand raising and spinning in the air inches above the palm of her hand, stopping only when it emits a handful of bright blue sparks and points due north.

“We need go more east, then.” She mutters as the wand lays itself back into her hand. She places it in its pocket and away from prying eyes as she steps back onto the street.

The rest of Eli’s walk doesn’t take long. Now that’s she’s headed the right direction she locates the first of the signs she needs to follow to get her out of Miju territory. Even in the unfamiliar territory that is the city she is able to follow the markings and signs she remembers from her childhood. She walks past the produce seller at the old Miju market, who doesn’t even notice her as she pass in the crowd before breaking off down a dead end alley on the south side of the market.

Stepping past a bunch of overfilled trash bins and wooden crates that have been stacked against the alley wall, Eli moves to stare intently at other wall of the dead end that she’s come to, searching between the faded advertisement posters and the grey-brown bricks for just the right space. When she finds it, she tugs her wand from inside her coat and dragged it across the air, the tip leaving a silver trail as she conjures a symbol in front of her. As the symbol is completed, the wall shakes, dust falling from it as the bricks inch apart, breaking at the places where their mortar should be holding them together. In a few moments, the wall becomes an archway, the posters on either side of the coming to life and beckon her in, their once human visage taking on something more mysterious and magical.

Eli smiles at them. It’s comforting to see something familiar. Even if it isn’t the wilderness she craves, at least there will be wizards within these walls.

She looks over her shoulder once more to confirm that she is still alone. When she is certain that she is, she puts her wand away. Hoisting her her case and stepping, the wall closes behind her shutting out the Miju world behind her.


	2. There Are Witches Among Us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terms you should know for the future:
> 
> 1\. Mijukuna - 未熟な - or Miju (for short): Japanese term for Muggle  
> 2\. Kiku - Japanese Wizard Money. Galleon equivalent  
> 3\. Shaku - Japanese Wizard Money. Sickle equivalent  
> 4\. Masu - Japanese Wizard Money. Knut equivalent
> 
> Enjoy the new chapter!  
> \---

The Masaki District. A bustling haven of magic nestled between the wards of Tokyo and beyond the reach of the mundane world. Within its bounds the wizarding world flourishes, unhidden and vibrant and with a flick of a wand at the right wall the district will open its arms to any wizard.

Once inside, the winding stone streets cobble along a line of traditional looking buildings that house wizarding businesses and frivolities alike; each sign and window showing off the wares and services they offer, from animals to brooms to potion ingredients and robes. It’s enough to keep anyone busy for hours as they stroll the streets and enter the shops. 

At the heart of the district stands a magnificent sight - a towering Sakura Tree, its leaves and blossoms ever in bloom as a haze of magical light surrounds it; a rain of petals slowly falling nearby. In front of its roots, a small wooden shrine awaits offerings and prayers to the gods. 

A small child rings the bell and claps her hands. Her mother watches from nearby. A familiar sight for Eli as she watches them over the crowd. Even within the magical world, these traditions carry over and its reassuring that something so simple connects this country. 

Eli remembers the first time that she came here. She had stood in awe of the great tree as her grandmother had told her the stories about it. The tree is rumored to be the first Sakura tree in Tokyo, the one which all of the other saplings and trees in the massive city of millions come from. The roots of the tree wind beneath the stone and the soil, spreading throughout the entire district. The magic that springs forth from the tree provides a unique protection that shields the wizarding society from the eyes of the Miju. A curiosity, for sure, since no witch or wizard had been known to be responsible for the spell. It’s origins remain a mystery but the wizarding world is nonetheless grateful for its blessings. The shrine is a reminder of their appreciation. 

As she stands there, the calm that the tree’s magic provides washes over Eli, leaving the cloudy confusion of the Miju world behind. The magic that dwells within her feels like it is celebrating each inch of freedom she gains. And even if she isn’t able to freely wield magic without thought or consequence, she still relishes in that fact that she doesn’t have to hide who she is any longer. Well, at least not the basic wizard part of herself. It was still considered a faux-pas to walk around with magical beasts out in the open. But that’s never her intention and certainly not why she got into her line of work. She grips the handle of her case tightly and watches the crowd for an opening and she makes a mental note to stop at the shrine before leaving the area to pay her respects to the magic. 

She counts the days in her head realizing that she’s lost track of them. She realizes it’s Saturday; a startling revelation since she thought it was Thursday. Though, really it shouldn’t be that surprising that’s she’s misplaced the days, since her travels take her into different time zones resulting in a skewed internal clock. But, regardless, the place is packed. Eli would have been able to plan ahead for the crowds if she had been functioning on the correct day of the week but she’s not. The large crowds of people make sense since the weekends were big days for other wizards to be out and about, shopping and enjoying each others company. How peculiar Eli feels as she stands there watching them bustle about, her chest tightening with the anxiety of stepping foot back into their world once more. 

Her sun-worn appearance paired with her mismatched utilitarian clothing, clashes with the fashionable city attire all around her. But if she tries hard enough she can pretend to ignore the stares for a few hours. It’ll be enough time to get something to eat and start finding some information before she needs to find somewhere to spend the night. 

Her stomach rumbles and she remembers that it has been quite some time since she has last eaten. In her haste, she’d declined the  _ ekiben _ at the last train station she’d been at but now she wishes that she’d had enough forethought to have purchased a snack; even a rice ball would have been smart. The hunger pains in her stomach grow. How long had it been? 

She counts in her head. 

Thirty five hours since she’s last eaten. 

Thirty hours since she acquired the envelope that now sit in the inside pocket of her coat. 

Twenty seven hours since she began her trip towards the capital city. 

She’s normally forgetful, but this is a new record for her. And eventually she will need to stop and take care of other business. She can’t be the only one that was hungry after all - even if her beasts had eaten far more recently than she has eaten. 

Stepping into the crowd, she does her best to blend in. And it works, her presence going mostly unnoticed as she ducks her head and pushes along with the flow of the crowd. It’s easy at first, until someone bumps into her. It’s Eli’s fault as her thoughts wander; her case threatening to fall from her grasp from the sudden impact. Eli jerks away from the person that ran into her and hits another wizard and her gentleman friend. They look up at Eli as if she has a second head, taking in her odd appearance and then hurrying off. Their shared whispers are louder than they think. Or maybe it’s on purpose. Sometimes people are like that.

“Foreign wizards are so rude.” the woman’s voice carries even as she moves down the flow of people. 

Eli’s face flushes in embarrassment and she ducks away before the scene gets worse and others decide to stare at her. She doesn’t like the attention. She clutches her case with both hands, holding it in front of her. The case vibrates as though picking up on her mood, causing Eli to shake her head.

“I’m fine,” Eli says quietly. Her eyes flicker from side to side, taking in her surroundings. 

As she passes an animal menagerie, the case shakes again. The latch on the right flips open this time and she can hear the creaking of the leather. Eli shuts it immediately.

“No. You’re not getting out to just play with some mundane animals that were meant for children. And don’t think I don’t know that you just want to eat owls and cats, Satoshi.” Eli scolds whatever’s rattling around in her case. 

As she says the words, she can feel something making it’s way up her lapel. She glances down, spotting a small, twig-like creature crawling slowly up into a spot behind her coat lapel. The green color stands out against the blue of her coat. She sighs and shakes her head. 

“Are you cold?” Eli asks, immediately lost in her own world as the crowd pushes her along. 

Of course her bowtruckle would pick now to come out. But she couldn’t be mad at him. The little green creature makes a small chirping noise and tucks itself in tightly out of sight. 

“Fine, but stay out of sight. This is why the others accuse me of favoritism,” she grumbles under her breath and pulls her jacket closer to her, making sure he’s hidden.

To her left is a shop selling robes and wizarding gard. As the crowd shunts her past it, she makes note of how much more colorful and flowery the wizarding styles are than Miju Garb, flowing at odd angles but made from wool and cotton as well. There more pockets for magical potions and wands too. Eli doesn’t buy from shops, choosing not to adhere to current fashions since they don’t suit her functions. Instead, she chooses to make her own jackets or modify them for her purposes in the field. It makes her style little less subtle, even if the colors are - but she never claimed to be an ordinary wizard. 

Eli spots a smaller area of shops and cafes near the west end of the street and manages to escape the river of people. She takes a second to catch her breath near the front of a shop displaying telescopes and strange silver instruments in its front window. A lone witch is putting the final touches on a display and she waves at Eli with a smile. Eli freezes, not knowing how to act for the first few seconds. The witch raises an eyebrow at her before shrugging and going back to her work. Eli looks away. It shouldn’t be hard to interact with strangers but she’s not confident about such things. She usually puts on a neutral expression which is often uncertainty confused with coldness. Not that any of it mattered. She would never see most of these people, especially that witch in the store front again. She rubs the back of her neck to calm her nerves and takes another look around. Her gaze lands on the row of eateries, reminding her about food.

The signs in this area are all large with bold or flowing letters. Some had cute animals or mascots on them, but as she gazes at them none seem very appealing. 

‘Atticus’ Apple Impoream’ where everything is made with apples. 

Eli doesn’t think that Atticus’s Apple Impoream sounds very appealing. Appealing. Ha. She makes a mental note of that joke. She’s have to tell it to Alisa once she found her. But for now, she’ll pass on this place. She still doesn’t like apples so she won’t be eating there regardless of her joke.

She returns to scanning the rest of the signs and her stomach gets louder with its protests. At the far end of the line she spots a sign with potential. It’s letters are large, curly, and...pink. An odd touch for the more dingy side of the street, she thinks. But the letters are inviting, if a bit loud. And Eli can’t deny she’s more intrigued by the name of the place more than any of the others she’s seen, including the funny drawing of a very tall creature to the side of the sign. And it looks to be an izakaya so that’s promising in an of itself if Eli felt like a drink to calm her nerves. Not that she did. But if she did... 

The decision from there is an easy one. She pushes through the front door and is greeted by the happy ringing of a bell from above her. 

The interior is less like she imagined; the pink cursive of the sign would have indicated something more brightly colored but the place is more like a tavern in the dark ages. She makes note of this as she stands in the entry way. The place seems to have been repurposed from an older establishment. It’s wooden paneling and brown brick are much darker and a little dingier than she was expecting and the tables and chairs are just as rustic. The only thing that really brightens up the building are the cheery pink tablecloths and flowers that decorate the entire establishment. 

Pictures of flowers and cute creatures dressed in pastel wizard clothing adorn the walls, the portraits and paintings moving around as if they are unaware of the patrons at the tables. Each occupant going about its business among the flowers and odd scenarios that they had been painted into. Some of the occupants in the paintings are more jolly about it than others as evidenced by the grumpy expression of a very large troll in a ridiculous party hat that sat in the portrait above seats at the bar. 

Eli thinks it is quite ridiculous for a troll to be wearing a pink party hat and a tutu much less attending a tea party made up of colorful decorations; the table scattered with decadent desserts and floral print tea cups. She can’t blame the troll for its grumpy expression as it sits smashing yet another piece of cake into its plate with a tiny fork as it leans into the palm of its hand. 

The staircase at the far end of the bar lead upstairs to a series of rooms that Eli guesses are either the owners quarters or guest rooms for rent. She makes a mental note of this before she looks back over the room, avoiding eye contact when one of them, a tall lanky gentleman with knobbly hands and sharp, crooked teeth, stares directly back at her when he senses her staring at him. She pretends to mind her own business as his blackish eyes bore into her. It’s a few minute before the sensation passes and Eli hears a low growl when the man returns to his food and his friends at his table; all of his friends being equally as strange and only borderline human if the clawed feet of the man to other’s left was any indication. 

Not all the patrons of the small izakaya look that strange, Eli notes, but they did all look comfortable and at home. Some of them on the more shady side than others but was there to do about it. The food looks amazing and from the pricing on the specials board (Yakitori and Omurice Croquettes for 2 Shaku each) it’s cheap.

As she stands at what she assumes is the host stand, Eli hopes to herself that she doesn’t get seated next to the man that looked like an  _ actual _ troll. She’s in the process of continuing to mentally commenting on the strange appearance of some of the guests again when her vision is impeded by a shock of purple hair that appears directly in front of her. Eli blinks, pulling her vision back into the proper focus and looks upon a woman a several inches shorter than her. She’s smiling pleasantly at Eli as her greeting is given and she bows, her hands placed delicately over the front of her maid-like uniform. Eli thinks the cut of the clothing fits her well but there is something overly flowery about the uniform on the woman that she isn’t quite able to put her finger on. Perhaps it was the sudden appearance of the woman and her luminescent green eyes that were making her overthink it.

“Hello there! Welcome to ‘ _ TITS’ _ .” The waitress greets with a large smile that makes her round face look very welcoming. 

Eli quirks her head to side. She is unsure she has heard the woman correctly. She glances back over her shoulder to the sign outside and then back at the woman. The sign didn’t say ‘ _ TITS’ _ ’ - had she gone into the wrong building?

“‘T-tits’?” Eli asks, once again unable to meet someone’s gaze, especially this woman who feels like she is looking directly through her and won’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. Eli can feel the heat rising up the back of her neck. She hopes that her ears aren’t too red with embarrassment, she’s never been able to stop that from happening. Crap. Now her cheeks are flushed too. She stops herself from covering her face as she fidgets in place.

“Mhm!” The woman beams at her, cheerfully. “Will it just be you dining with us this evening? Or are you expecting someone?” 

Eli clears her throat. “J-just me.” She grips her case handle out of habit. The woman’s eyes dart to the case before returning to Eli’s face examining her a bit more closely. 

“Can I take your case while you eat? Maybe your coat?”

Eli shakes her head rapidly. Awkwardly. She feels like asking the woman to stop staring at her but wonders if it might be considered rude. She’s not been in human company in for this long in a while and she isn’t sure how she is supposed to act in this situation. 

“Ok, well, if you’re sure. I mean it’s no trouble at all. I’m here to help!” the woman offers again.

Luckily, Eli is saved by a booming voice coming from across the izakaya. Surprisingly, it’s female.

“Nozomi! Are you gonna seat that customer or not? We’ve got dishes piling up in the window and a table of eight coming in later. Get a move on.” 

The waitress, Nozomi, turns to look over her shoulder and Eli lets her gaze travel in the same direction. Behind the bar is lean woman of short stature, her hair tied into mid twintails and adorned with a bright pink bandana. Her wand is out and she’s gesturing around the bar as she looks at various order tickets. Glasses fly around her filling themselves from bottles of amber and clear liquids before getting mixed with colorful juices and other additions. 

“Comin’, Nicocchi!” Nozomi says, brightly. “I was just talking to this fine lady and welcoming her to ‘ _ TITS _ ’!” 

Nozomi sweeps her long braided hair back over her left shoulder before reaching for a menu and beckoning Eli to follow behind her. Eli does and as she walks parallel to the bar she can see that the short woman behind the bar is also directing a cavalcade of metal spatulas as they tend to a rolled pork and cheese omelet on a flat top grill. The symphony of movement impresses Eli and she smiles absently as she watches on. The woman behind the bar doesn’t seem to be having as much fun, though, judging by the line of plates at the end of the bar, steaming hot food just waiting to be taken to its tables. 

“For the millionth time, it is  _ not  _ ‘ _ TITS _ ’. Don’t mess up the name of my place just because you thinks it’s funny.” Nico scolds.

“Sorry, Nicocchi,” Nozomi apologizes. But her bright eyes are full of mirth. “I always forget there’s no ' _ S _ ', it’s just one ‘ _ TIT _ ’.” 

Nico lets out a low grown and rubs her face into the crook of her arm so she doesn’t get her hands or her wand dirty. She resurfaces and jabs her wand in Nozomi’s direction threatening her. Eli, however, gets the impression that this was a recurring routine, if the dismissive looks from the customers was anything to go by. 

“We’re ‘The Idle Troll’.” Nico jerks her free thumb up at the portrait of the tea party troll in above the bar. The troll has moved on to chewing on its party hat, still looking bored. “And the name is clearly on the sign out front incase you can’t get it through that ditzy brain of yours.”

“Fine, Fine, take all the fun out it.” Nozomi pretends to pout as she stops at a table against the wall. She hands the menu to Eli who’s still looking between the two women blankly.

“Here ya are.” Nozomi smiles at her. “Can I get ya something to drink? Water? Beer? Sake?”

“Um, just water, I think.” Eli slides her case onto the bench before taking her seat. “Thank you,” she adds. 

“You’re welcome. Oh, and to properly introduce myself, I’m Nozomi. And that lovely woman behind the bar with the temper is Nico. The owner. Or Nicocchi for short, like her.” Nozomi giggled. Eli doubts that it would be okay for her, a total stranger, to call the owner of the place something that familiar. “Don’t pay her any mind. She’s grumpy when she’s busy.”

“Or when her staff isn’t working fast enough!” Nico calls after Nozomi. “Seriously. Can I get a plate pickup?!” she harrumphs. 

“Comin’!” Nozomi responds to Nico before bowing in Eli’s direction. “I’ll be right back. Take a look at your menu. Think about what ya’d like. I recommend the Pixie Pot Pie.” 

Eli balks at the idea of anything named ‘Pixie Pot Pie.’

“Don’t worry,” Nozomi winks at her. “It’s not made from real pixies. It’s just a name Nicocchi liked.”

Eli slowly nods. Nozomi takes that as her cue to go do her job and deliver the mountain of food that continues to build up on the bar in front of Nico. 

No sooner has Nozomi walked away that a goblet floats over to the table and rests itself in front of Eli. A pitcher of water follows not long after and pitcher hovers at the rim of the glass before tipping itself at an angle to pour Eli her first glass. Without thinking, Eli thanks the pitcher and it sets itself down at the corner of the table. 

Taking the chance to look over the menu, Eli realizes that there is quite a variety being served here. Eli’s stomach growls in response to finding a large selection of gyoza  and she decides that the sooner she orders the better off her hunger, focus, and mood will be. She’s tempted to order everything she can get her hands on but she knows that her eyes are bigger than her stomach. Not to mention her coin purse for that matter. In the end, she decides on the yakitori, pork gyoza, tempura vegetables, and a small bowl of rice to sate her. It should be more than enough to tide her over for a while as she remembers that she still needs to find a place to stay. Perhaps she should rent a room at this place if one was available but she was skeptical of the rate they would charge for the night. 

Checking in her coin purse inside her jacket pocket, Eli counts out the amount of coins she will need for her meal and drink. When she discovers she is lower on funds than anticipated, she sighs. She mentally kicks herself for purchasing the owl food from that vendor in the middle of nowhere last week. His prices had been outrageous but she had been desperate to restock her stores before she came into Tokyo proper. Now she is short money for a night’s stay. She’d need to think of something. At least it wouldn’t be the first night she was stuck sleeping under the stars beneath her jacket. The only difference was that she’d be sleeping in man’s jungle in the middle of a city. Humans are some of the more frightening wild animals in the world so she didn’t know how to predict them as well as her beasts, especially the Miju.

Nozomi’s return is cheerful and she takes Eli’s order with the same warm smile. Eli nods politely to her as she scurries back to give the ticket to Nico behind the bar, who immediately examines it and with a flick of her long wand, the ingredients for Eli’s meal bounce along in the air and into their pots and fry pans for cooking. 

Taking note of the nonverbal charms that Nico’s using, Eli pulls out a notebook and a self inking quill from another one of her many pockets. It never hurts to learn new things and she likes to jot down useful things when she has the chance. 

‘Maybe I can show it to Alisa one day,’ Eli thinks with a sad smile. ‘Alisa would love that sort of thing. Even if she would never use it herself...’

The thought lingers for only a moment before Eli lets it go. She turns the page and writes on other things. The feeding habits of Acromantula, for one. She’s been meaning to flush out that section of her notes after running into them when she traveled in the southern portion of the Taiwan looking for a rare breed of asian Diricawl that the natives had rumored live in those forests. But Eli hadn’t found any Diricawl to study, just the Acromantula, an expected and dangerous subject.

Eli’s case rattles and creaks again. But this time she is so engulfed in her notes that she does not notice it. Normally, she’d be attentive but with the lack of food, new surroundings, and fanatic detail she is writing in her notebook, the sound of the latch popping open fails to register in her brain. At the table next to her, a man’s boisterous voice does not help any. He is bragging to his friend about beating him in a game of wizard chess. His friend, a smaller, less noisy man shrugs as he pulls out his playing board. 

“I’ll bet you ten Koku,” the man hiccups loudly and slams his money purse onto the table. “That I’ll beat you this time. I’m feelin’ lucky, lucky, lucky!”

The man’s friend snorts as he watches as bronze, silver, and gold coins spill out into a pill at the edge of their table. The coins stand out noticeably against the dingy surface. “You haven’t won yet and you won’t win now. But you’re on.”

As the friendly game begins, the case beside Eli rattles again and the lip of the case’s lid eases open, a small fur-covered bill peaking out, small claws following closely behind it. It’s attention is drawn to the money on the table nearby.

Eli glances over to their table where the drunk man has directed his knight across the board. His friend quickly moves in a pawn and the figure comes to life, whacking the knight over the head. Eli smirks as the drunk man curses and he removes his injured piece from the board. The pile of money on the table shifts under the force of the attack.

“You should have seen that one coming.” Eli comments, not realizing she has said it aloud. 

The drunk man turns to her and stares. “Mind your own business lady *hiccup*. This game ain’t between you and me.”

Eli looks apologetic before turning back to her notebook. It’s then that her food arrives. Nozomi is smiling at her as she sets each plate down. 

“Here ya go, all hot and fresh. Best eat it while ya can. Ya look like you’ve not eaten in awhile.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Eli asks, her face the beacon of confusion.

“I mean, you’re a little on the skinny side, ain’t ya?” Nozomi points out.

“Oh,” Eli blushes, picking up her chopsticks and poking at the rice. “I’ve always been that way. I eat plenty.”

“If ya say so,” Nozomi laughs as she strides away. “Let me know if ya need anything else.”

Eli shrugs and brings a bite of rice to her mouth. She smiles at its taste. Simple, yet delicious. She’s about to take another bite and then sample the gyoza when she chances a glance back at her neighbors’ game. The drunk man is losing pretty badly if the pile of white chess pieces is any indication, but that’s not what makes her stop mid bite of rice. It’s the fact that the pile of money is missing.

A flare of panic in her chest sets her mind into motion. 

‘The coins were just there,’ she thinks. ‘He may have just put them back in his pocket...’

Her food forgotten, Eli examines their table again. The money purse is still there, it’s cloth crumpled in the pile where the man had left it. Instantly her hand sets her chopsticks back on the table and her eyes dart around the room. Not there, no. Not there either. She searches carefully the dark areas under the table until she spots...

Crap.

Eli groans softly as she spots the exact thing that she feared it might be. Prying off the jeweled buckle from a woman’s high heel shoe is a small, billed creature with blueish-black fur. 

Her Niffler is loose and under that table. 

Well, it was, it’s already moved on to the next target, crawling into a man’s pocket and pulling out his gold. 

Eli curses silently again and she pulls out her wand underneath the table. Crouching down to get a better view, she watches carefully as her Niffler moves. She loses sight of him as he crawls around another table.

“Filthy little thief...” she mutters as gets down near the floor and begins to crawl through the crowd. She’s not paying attention to anything but the beast, knowing that she needs to get him quickly back and into her case. As she passes a few tables, they stop their dinners to watch her odd behavior. 

It’s another moment before she sees the Niffler. She freezes mid-crab crawl, hoping to avoid it’s line of sight. Luck is with her, it doesn’t see her because it is far too focused on a shiny black metal ring that one of the men in the corner is wearing. Seeing her opening, she scrambles forward, lunging the last few inches to wrap her hands around the Niffler. The creature is caught, Eli clutching him tightly as she sits under a bar table.

“Listen here you little terror,” Eli turns the Niffler upside down and begins to run her fingers over it’s bulging stomach. “Hands off what doesn’t belong to you.” She tickles his fur rapidly. As the Niffler struggles, curling its body open and closed, a pile of gold and jewelry fall out of the pouch on its stomach in small heap. Luckily, the Niffler had only been out of the case for five minutes, otherwise who knows what the damage would have been. 

Once the Niffler is empty, she stuffs him into one of the lower pockets inside her coat. She’d had this specific pocket designed for this exact purpose; it was capable of holding a small beast temporarily until she was able to get back to her case. But as she busies herself with the Niffler problem she realizes that a shadow is looming over her. Eli’s gaze follows the shadow up the length until she lays eyes on a very large man.

He clears his throat, his gaze shooting daggers into her. She looks apologetic for being so close to him and backs out from under his table and away from him.

“Whoops. Sorry, thought I saw a, um, a bug. I’ll just excuse myself...” Eli scurries onto her feet but she doesn’t get very far before a slamming of a table is heard from behind her. 

“Hey! What happened to my ring?!” the man’s voice booms, filling the area. 

Eli freezes in place. A groan escaping her as she opens her coat to stare down at the Niffler in her pocket.

If Niffler’s could smile, this one would have be smiling. Clutched in his little paws is the ring in question. A signet ring with a black diamond set into its face, no wonder the Niffler would want it. The sneaky little thief had grabbed it just before Eli had caught him. His nimble fingers would be impressive if Eli wasn’t so peeved with him.

Annoyance furrowing into her brow, she reaches into the pocket with the Niffler and wrestles free the ring from his grasp. 

“We’re having a long talk later.” Eli scowls. “You know better than this.”

The Niffler makes a noise of disappointment, his eyes sad now that his shiny thing is gone. Eli shuts her coat with a huff and stares at the ring. These things always happen to her. It probably has something to do with her chosen profession and the company that it provided her. 

With the Niffler secure, she turns her attention back to the man who is looming menacingly over her. She looks up...and up. His head just shy of touching the ceiling as he continues to stare daggers into her. He’s taller than her by several heads. Oh, good. It looks like he is the man who she had assumed was part troll when she had first arrived.

She averts her gaze but as she holds the man ring and she does try her best to look apologetic. Her hands are sweating and she prays that she doesn’t drop the ring and add insult to injury. 

“I believe this is yours, um, sir?” Eli holds the ring out to the man. She does her best to keep her voice steady as she glances back at him and then away again. Oh boy. 

The man growls in his throat. His dark eyes are taking her in as he steps closer. 

“Now, I know what you’re thinking but this was all just a big misunderstanding...” Eli swallows, feeling her throat tighten. Her wand hand instinctively creeps closer to where it is stored near her hip. “I’ll just return this and I’ll be going--”

A flash of light and Eli is thrown across the room, colliding with the wall. Pain shoots through her back and head. She feels blood trickle down her forehead and onto her cheek. She knows its already staining her coat. She hadn’t been quick enough; her wand was still in her jacket. Painstakingly, she reaches for the wand and suffers another injury before she’s able to throw up a shielding charm. 

Slamming into the floor, she rolls and barely manages to dodge the third spell he aims at her. She ends up under a table and fires off a spell. It is rebounded against her, the blue light of the man’s shielding spell sending it back at her and into the table above her as she curls into a ball. The table splinters and cracks, sending shards everywhere. Using the distraction, the man takes aim, hitting Eli with another spell. Her body convulses violently.

She screams as the pain becomes too much. She tries to look around, her eyes darting frantically around. She spots the large man charging at her, his wand raised, and his eyes full of rage. But as he is running, the man is hit with a jet of red light, the spell stunning him in his tracks. 

The pain subsides and Eli lays flat on the floor. By this time the the izakaya has broken out into shouts, the sound of fighting and spell light filling the room as protective spells go off, the patrons using any excuse they can find to have a little ‘fun.’

A long bang goes off. Eli turns her head to see Nico, vaulting over the bar as if it were nothing. Her wand is held above her head in a threatening as she stares down the room. She aims her wand and points it at the man she’s just stunned, ropes bursting forth from its tip and wrapping him securely so that he won’t be able to move when he wakes up. Nozomi steps forward and cheerfully gathers the man’s wand and places it her apron pocket. 

The fighting of the room continues which makes Nico scowl. She fires several more sparks into the air, their concussive bangs serving as a last warning as she sees another man in a balaclava thrown across the room. Nozomi’s wand work is quick as she aims it at the man, cushioning his blow in midair before he can land behind the bar and break any more of the glassware and dishes that are stacked there. She gently guides him to the ground as the last of the patrons come to a comical halt.

Seeing the anger of the owner, makes them shrink under her gaze. Even in their drunken stupors they know they’ve messed up. For someone so small, Eli notes, Nico’s presence overpowers the room when she decides to focus it. 

“NOT IN MY HOUSE!” Nico shouts, causing everyone to flinch. “If you want to act like idiots take it somewhere else. I put up with a lot from you lot but destroying my bar is where I draw the line. You all know the rules!” 

The murmur of agreement is heard from all of the patrons as Nico watches them. It’s as though they have just been yelled at by their mothers. Swiftly, the bar is put back into place as they replace chairs and tables with their wands. 

Eli remains lying on the floor, panting. The throbbing in her head is becoming worse. 

“That’s better.” Nico says as she watches the last of the tables get fixed. “Now,  _ you _ .” 

Turning her wand on Eli, Nico walks closer. She’s pissed, that much is clear. Even the nauseous Eli is feeling can’t cover that up.

“You come into  _ my place _ and you start this kind of ruckus. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t--”

“Nicocchi, it wasn’t her fault.” Nozomi’s voice is heard, but Eli’s eyesight is blurring, she can’t really see either woman anymore. 

“Not her fault my FOOT!” Nico yells. “You saw what she did!”

“But that's what I’m trying to say it wasn’t really---” Nozomi gasps. “She’s hurt.”

Eli feels someone near her. There are words. But she doesn’t understand them. She guesses she hit her head harder than she thought. 

The next thing she knows is darkness.


	3. The Three Sisters

The Izakaya around her has returned to normal by the time Eli regains consciousness. Her head is throbbing as she holds it in her hands. She’s managed to wipe most of the blood off of her face and collar but the spot where her head had been split open is still tender and a bit raw, if no longer bleeding.

“Here, drink this,” The grouchy tone of Nico’s voice brings her out of her thoughts. A sharp jab in her arm from Nico’s finger follows the command as she holds a glass of water in Eli’s line of sight.

“Thanks,” Eli murmurs as she takes the glass of water. She sips and shuts her eyes.

Nico taps her shoe impatiently and the sound grates against her nerves. She’s not going to get any peace it seems. She opens her eyes and looks to the left, seeing the main room through the open door. It’s still bustling with activity even after such an event. Nico had decided that moving Eli to the side room of the bar would be in everyone’s best interest.

“Well, at least you stopped bleeding everywhere.” she huffs, her foot still tapping.

Eli wishes Nico would take a few steps back. She’s feeling cagey being in such a small room and especially with someone she barely knows so close to her. “It wasn’t exactly pleasant for me either.” Eli gestures at her forehead where she was holding a handkerchief.

She glances at Nico. Now that she’s getting a closer look at her, she notices that her eyes are red. An odd color for a human. More suitable for goblins in her experience. But Eli probably should not bring that up, especially when Nico is already furious with her.

“Well, you started the fight, so I don’t know why you’re complaining. I mean what kind of idiot starts a fight with a man twice their size?”

“Probably you,” Eli snipes quietly.

“What did you say?” Nico narrows her eyes at her. Eli returns back to looking at the open door.

“I said, I didn’t start the fight.”

“A likely story. I saw what happened. You were crawling under their table, being all weird. I’m not surprised Tatsuo took offense. By the way, that guy who cut open your head with his spell is named Tatsuo. Not someone you want to be on the bad side of.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” Eli laughs dryly.

“Well, he’s a long time customer. Been coming here for years. And while he’s not happy we wrapped him up in ropes, he understands I needed to contain the situation. Plus, there’s nowhere else in the Masaki District that will let him trade with his buddies without bothering him or turning over to those ministry snitches. But you on the other hand,” Nico points at Eli. “You I’ve never seen before. I owe you no favors. I don’t even know your name."

“You could just ask?” Eli groans, Nico’s loud voice hurting her head. Why couldn’t she just be quiet?

“Fine. What name does a tall banana of a woman like you go by?” Nico asks, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Eli Ayase.”

“Well, Miss Ayase - I assume you aren’t married - give me one reason why I shouldn’t turn you over to the ministry for coming into my place and disrupting everything?”

“Because...” Eli pauses, gritting her teeth. She’s not sure there is a legitimate reason for Nico not to call the ministry. The only thing she is able to think of at the moment is that she doesn’t want to go to wizarding jail and she certainly can’t afford to to go to jail, not with Alisa depending on her.

“Because she didn’t do anythin’ wrong.”

Nozomi enters the room carrying a bowl of water in her hands and inside the water is a clean rag. Eli’s eyes dart to her.

“How can you be so sure of that? It was crazy in there and Tatsuo did accuse her of stealing his ring after she crawled out from under his table.” Nico stares, arms crossed, at her.

“Because I know all, Nicocchi.” Her smirk seems to infuriate Nico. “It’s all a simple misunderstanding.” Nozomi busies herself with wringing the water out of the rag. She has Eli remove the handkerchief from her forehead.

“Any better?” Nozomi asks, examining the wound.

“A little.” Eli mumbles. “Sorry for all of the trouble. That wasn’t exactly how I envisioned my evening going.”

“It’s alright. Things happen. But maybe next time ya shouldn’t pick a fight with someone like that.”

“I didn’t pick a fight with them! You just said so yourself!” Eli whips her head up and glares at Nozomi. Instantly, she regrets it as a searing pain shoots through her temple. “Ow...” she whines and drops her head again.

“Tsk tsk, poor baby.” But Nozomi’s only teasing. She presses a damp rag against Eli’s forehead eliciting a soft hiss from the blonde. “This will help until we can patch you up.”

“Can’t you just, I don’t know, use your wand?” Eli asks.

“I could, but it’s kinda deep,” she ,admits with a sigh. “I’d rather treat it with somethin’ different but I don’t have it here.”

“Nozomi!”

Eli winces at the loud noise; there’s still a sharp ringing in her ears. Nico is very annoyed that she is being ignored.

“I’m right here, Nicocchi, no need to yell.” .

“Yea, I see that.” Nico grumps loudly. “Is the banana good to leave yet?”

Eli frowns at being called a ‘banana’ again. But Nozomi just brushes off the comment as if it hasn’t happened.

“She’s better but she has a nasty cut on her head. She needs to get some healing.”

“Serves her right for wrecking my place.”

Eli can feel Nico’s still glaring at her.

“I am sorry about that. It wasn’t my intention...”

“And it wasn’t her fault.” Nozomi says again.

“You keep saying that so care to explain?” Nico asks.

“I mean, that it wasn’t her fault. Tatsuo just wanted to start a fight. Eli was just looking for something she lost on the floor.”

Nico’s eyes scan Nozomi and then Eli skeptically. Nozomi holds her confident expression and Nico deflates, the annoyance leaving her as she accepts the lie. It wasn’t worth the argument.

“Well, it doesn’t matter now.” She waves it off. “It happened. Just get her out of my bar and to wizard hospital so we can be done with her.”

“No, that won’t do. Too much trouble, plus it’s expensive.” Nozomi states as she removes the cloth from Eli’s head to check on the wound.

“I really don’t mind going,” Eli insists.

“Nah, I know how to patch you up. Besides, where are ya staying tonight?”

“I...hadn’t gotten that far?” Eli admits, awkwardly.

Nico sighs again and leaves the room. “Just get going.”

“She could stay here, Nicocchi!” She calls after her.

“NO!” Nico and Eli say at once, causing them to look at each other.

Nico eyes her, curiously.

“I don’t have the money.” Eli confesses. “So, I need to look for other arrangements.”

“Hmm. Well, that settles it then. Come home with me and I’ll take care of you.”

“But---”

“No excuses.” Nozomi stares intensely at her, her green eyes almost glowing. “You’re injured and we need to take care of it and I’m the best around.”

Eli looks from side to side, no escape in sight. Her shoulders slouch. She’s cornered.

“Fine.”

\---

 Eli follows Nozomi through the crowded streets of Tokyo, crossing each busy intersection and weaving into the crowds of people as they travel further and further into the heart of the city. Eli does her best to keep up with the other woman as they turn each corner, finding surprise in the fact that Nozomi’s able to avoid most obstacles while still keeping her momentum. Unfortunately for Eli, she isn't as graceful or lucky and narrowly avoids taking off a small child’s head with her suitcase as she turns another corner. She ends up on the ground at one point, apologizing profusely before scrambling to her feet and dashing off in the direction she’d seen Nozomi go. It’s not that Nozomi is running; Eli just isn’t used to the rhythm of the city, nor is she used to how Nozomi moves.

‘What a silly way to lead someone to your home when you know they are injured,” Eli thinks to herself, getting the very large impression that Nozomi is toying with her as she eludes Eli’s line of sight once more. She frowns and picks up her speed. Eli’s used to tracking wild animals and magical beasts; that’s where the challenge is when she needs to get on their level to think or move like them. But here, in human terrain, it shouldn’t be so hard, especially since she’s chasing a woman with purple hair. That should stand out more than it is doing at the moment.

No, it isn’t usually this hard to track a human. Humans are slow, dumb, wearing their intentions out in the open through their movements and loud noises. No, it should not be this hard to track a human, but it is immediately evident that Nozomi isn’t just any human. But Eli knows her skills are better than this and her injury isn’t _that_ bad. Sure, it stings but it shouldn’t be impeding a skill she has cultivated her entire life. She just needs to focus and use her critical thinking.

Concentrating harder, Eli stops briefly to consider how Nozomi is moving. She’s been dodging in and out of the crowd, exploiting small openings between the people and the buildings. It is reasonable to think that the other woman would not chose to stay on the main path. She would want to find a side street to take.

Eli looks around again, people bumping into her just long enough to receive her glare before scurrying off, and she spots a small alley thirty feet ahead that everyone else is ignoring. Deciding that that is where Nozomi has gone, Eli hoists her case and heads that direction.

Her hunch proves to be correct. She reaches the end of the alley when she spots Nozomi standing just around the corner. She’s waiting for Eli, that much is clear; her expression is quiet and knowing as she looks back over her shoulder at where Eli resurfaces  The bright green of her gaze is intense and Eli averts her eyes as she comes closer. This is what prey must feel like, Eli thinks.

Again, Eli has the impression that Nozomi is teasing her. Eli comes to a halt, clutching at her chest and trying to catch her breath.

“Nice of you to join me,” Nozomi says, her hand over her mouth in an attempt to hide a giggle.

Eli glares at her; her voice having yet to return from her heavy breathing to protest Nozomi’s words. She huffs and shakes her head as she looks around. The place where Nozomi has lead her is an unremarkable street in the inner city of Tokyo. Above the two woman stands a dingy brown flat, two stories tall and it has definitely seen better days. Around them, people pass by without giving it a sideways glance as if it isn’t even there.

“Well, here we are, Miss Ayase. It ain’t much ta look at but it’s home. Just mind the step up as ya enter the foyer.” Nozomi smiles back at Eli, who can only nod in confirmation.

The clip of Nozomi’s heels are sharp as she makes her way up the small stone stairs. She produces a ring of keys with a flourish, the sharp jingle of metal on metal before the right key hits the lock. A quick _thunk_ of the deadbolt and Nozomi motions for Eli to follow behind her before she slips into the building.

Eli dawdles for a minute, wondering if she should flee in the other direction. She shifts from foot to foot, making the leather of her dragonhide boots squeak, as she makes a decision. She didn’t actually like the idea of sleeping on the streets that night and staying here tonight would allow her to formulate a plan for the coming days. A little interaction with a stranger won’t be too bad and it’ll be worth it if it helps her find her sister.

Tightening her grip on the handle of her case, Eli wills herself forward and climbs the steps into the building, the warmth of the of interior wrapping around her instantly like a pair of arms. She shuts the door gently behind her but the click of the door as it shut startles her anyway and she looks apologetically at Nozomi. But the other woman has already gone farther into the house. She sees the genkan where Nozomi has placed her shoes and can hear Nozomi’s voice call out from deeper in the house.

“I’m home!” Nozomi’s voice is audible even though there is a wall that’s now between Eli and her.

Taking off her t boots and setting them neatly next to Nozomi’s, Eli listens as a response comes from another woman who has a deeper voice. The conversation and the realization that Eli would have to interact with more people escapes her for the moment as she finds herself distracted by her own feet. She wiggles her toes as she sees a growing hole in the green fabric of her left sock. The tip of her big toe exposes itself as she wiggles her feet and she notices the other sock is in equally poor condition. The sudden realization and embarrassment that her host might see the poor shape of her socks harshly reminds Eli that she sorely needs to invest in a new pair before she sets out for her next journey into the field. She does her best to put the hole in her sock out of her mind as she tries to quietly make her way in the direction that Nozomi has gone. She keeps her suitcase close in front of her, setting a safety net between her and her insecurities by using the worn leather of the case.

Spending the evening in the company of anyone is unexpected at best. If Eli is truly honest with herself, she never expects to be in the company of other people. Being alone is what Eli always expects to be, especially when she’s in the field or studying magical creatures in and around small towns. The only exception to this would be when she journeyed home to visit her grandmother and her sister.

At the thought of her family, Eli’s stomach sinks, her grief bubbling up and threatening to overwhelm her as it had over the course of the last week, ever since she’d seen the carnage left behind at her grandmother’s house. And here Eli stands, having messed up her search to find her sister having barely begun. Going to the pub hadn’t ended well, if the cut on her forehead is any indication of that. She needs to figure out what her next step is so that she can begin to take it. But standing in the entryway of a stranger's home hardly seems like the time to figure something like this out - no matter how worried she may be.

So, Eli musters what little willpower she has left from the day and pushes down those thoughts, resigning herself to deal with the matter later that night when the silence of twilight could help her think. For now, she will deal with her unexpected host. Or hosts. The voices in the kitchen continue to talk.

“You were supposed to be home an hour ago,” The other voice says.

“I know, I know,” Nozomi concedes jovially. “But I got caught up at work. Can’t blame me for that, can ya Umi.”

Eli can hear Nozomi giggle as the other person, Umi, lets out a huff of frustration.

“I guess it can’t be helped. I just worry because today is really not the day that we need a deviation from our schedule.”

“Yes, Umi. I’m well aware, but I’m here now so everythin’ will be okay. Can’t help it if the customers keep me busy, can I?”

The sound of a utensil hitting the side of a pot as it is being stirred reaches Eli’s ears. Breathing in through her nose, she picks up an odd smell. It is the telltale odor of potion making; The fire against worn caldron smell that stirs memories of her days at school; the overwhelming scent of herbs and flowers that intermingle with the lingering smell of powders like horn of bicorn and other wizarding follery all put together to make something useful. Yes, Eli is familiar with potions. But there’s a very distinct smell intermingling with the rest that she can’t quite put her finger on. It hovers beneath the surface and is quite unpleasant. Her brain begins to turn as she tries to pull the name of the ingredient from the depths of her memory.

“It’s your turn to cook,” Umi says absently. “Hand me that vial of mermaid tears while you’re over there, please?”

“I can’t right now, Umi. I’m tellin’ the plants about my day. Ya know that the first thing I do when I get home is talk to them. Aren’t you the stickler for routine?” Nozomi reasons. Her voice sounds odd as if it was coming from up above.

An audible sigh and the tap of metal against metal is heard.

“Yes, I’m well aware. We’ve only lived together all of our lives. But don’t think that your plants are getting you out of making dinner. You skipped last night by ordering takeout. Which does not count as ‘cooking’ and it sure as heck doesn’t count as ‘healthy.’” Umi says amidst the clink of glass bottles. Eli listens and assumes by the noises that the woman is digging through a cabinet of ingredients.

“Ya wound me,” Nozomi says, in mock outrage. Then there is the squeak of a chair and the sound of pouring of water. “I wouldn’t dream about throwin’ away my responsibilities, after all, I am the oldest.”

“Well, you sure have a funny way of showing it. Do you ever think of what kind of example are you setting for Rin?”

‘So they’re sisters...’ Eli thinks. ‘That is useful to know.’

But as she stands there awkwardly and takes in more of their conversation, it dawns on Eli that she probably shouldn’t be eavesdropping. It definitely isn’t socially acceptable to do so and she can hear her grandmother’s voice in her head reinforcing that. Her grandmother’s influence constantly reminds her when she fails to pick up on the social norm, Eli being slow on the uptake at the best of times.

So, Eli stands a little straighter and steels herself before stepping around the corner into a very eccentric looking kitchen.

The walls of the kitchen are made from multicolored slats of wood, it’s mild colors creating an elongated patchwork effect for the rustic room; the countertops made of well used butcher’s block and they match the surface of the small island that sits in the middle of the room. An old refrigerator hums quietly along the far wall as it continues to cool its contents. As she looks around, Eli sees that the kitchen is filled with many interesting features. Not only do the copper and metal pots of different shapes and sizes hang along the wall near the stove, but the shelves are filled with personal effects. Small statues of animals litter the walls along with cookbooks and a number of potion making equipment.

The most interesting feature of the kitchen, in Eli’s opinion, is that it is full of plants that hang from the ceiling all around the room, the creeping vines of a few of them winding up and down the sides of the cabinets and dishes. It’s near one of the larger plants that Nozomi is standing on a chair and lovingly tending to what Eli recognizes as Fluxweed. The large leaves of the fluxweed each being carefully inspected by Nozomi as she gently moves her wand, watering the plant just enough to quench its thirst.

Just a short ways away, an old stove is in use, a small caldron sitting bubbling away atop it, the flue pipe billowing the smoke up and out through the ceiling to who knows where; they are on the ground floor after all. Attending to the caldron is a woman with dark blue hair that reaches the middle of her back. It’s been expertly pulled out of the way of the potion that she is working on. As she tends to her potion, she throws questions and comments over her shoulder to Nozomi, who responds warmly as she moves from plant to plant.

Eli takes note of how imposing Umi’s posture is even as she does something so mundane as concocting a potion. Her lithe body is poised, proud, and agile as she flourishes her wand with a practiced hand. Underneath her calm expression, she’s definitely not someone Eli wants to tangle with.

Tapping her wand on the the edge of the caldron three times, Umi uses a precise gesture to finish the potion causing a small cloud of blue smoke to rise from the surface of the grey potion. Eli’s nostrils twitch and sting as the elusive scent from earlier wafts from the potion and, along with it, stirs her memory.

“Will you get down from there and at least start working on dinner? Rin’s gonna be hungry soon.” Umi says to Nozomi from over her shoulder.

“Fine, Fine.” Nozomi hops down off the chair. “I’mma gettin’.”

Eli observes along silently as the two women go about their nightly routine, her presence having obviously slipped Nozomi’s mind. It might not be too odd if she decided to turn around and leave. She shifts awkwardly, her case in her hands. It isn’t too late to find a cheap wizard inn or a park bench, is it? Or would it be a rude way to repay Nozomi’s kindness after she had offered a place to sleep for the night?

Vegetables zooming across the room distract her from her decisionmaking as they make their way from a basket on the counter and land in the sink where they dive under the running water, cleaning themselves as they do.

“Pork or chicken?” Nozomi taps her chin with her wand. She’s standing in the open door of the refrigerator considering its contents.

“Pork” Nozomi and Umi say in unison. They share a knowing look with each other, their words in stereo before they laugh and point to the staircase at the far end of the room. Eli judges by layout of the house, it leads up the backway to the bedrooms.

“Rin does love her pork,” Nozomi says, grabbing a paper wrapped package from inside the appliance. “Though, I don’t have enough time to make ramen so I suppose she’ll be sad because of that.”

“She’ll understand. But if you had been home on time you’d have been able to make it. I had hoped we’d have a nice meal tonight. Would have helped take the edge off of things for her.”

“Mhm. I agree,” Nozomi walks over to the counter and begins unwrapping the meat.

“I thought Tuesday was your slow day at work. What happened that caused it to get busy?” Umi asks as she moves the caldron off of the stove and sets it on the center island, presumably to let it cool while she gathers the bottles and pouches she’s used while making the potion. She cleans and replaces her utensils in a cabinet below her as Nozomi dances around her and takes her place at the stove.

“Oh, we had a customer that decided to make a little bit of trouble, is all.” Nozomi makes idle chatter as she oversees the chopping of the pork into smaller pieces. Eli’s ears begin to burn at Nozomi’s vague account of what had occurred earlier.

The fire lights and a frying pan is placed on the burner. Nozomi waves her wand again and the vegetables hop from the colander in the sink to a cutting board where a knife starts chopping them on it’s own. Once broken down into pieces, they travel into the hot skillet with another subtle gesture of her hand where they sizzle and saute. A disembodied spoon stirs them every few minutes to keep them from burning.

“Trouble?” Umi raises her eyebrow, turning to face her sister and stopping her siphoning of the potion into medium sized vials. “What kind of trouble?” She corks and sets one on handled rack.

“Nothin’ Nicocchi, I and the others couldn’t handle, Umi. But it got interestin’ to say the least.” She smirked. The meat adds itself to the pan and the sizzle intensifies as the fat renders off of the pork. “Oh, how silly of me.” She says absentmindedly.  “I forgot that I invited someone to dinner. Now where did she go, hmm...”

Eli feels her flight instinct kick in. Maybe this has been a mistake. She should have left while she had the chance. She looks behind her. But it is too late, Nozomi’s already spotted her.

“Ah, there she is!” Nozomi says, cheerily. Eli is now the center of attention as she stands awkwardly in the door. Standing completely still, she’s unsure what to say, so she says nothing. Her eyes flicker from object to object not knowing where to look.

“Who’s this?” Umi’s voice lowers in a suspicious tone. She hasn’t moved, but her wand is visible again - and pointed directly at Eli’s throat.

“The reason that my day was so interestin’.” Nozomi smirks as she wipes her hands off on a kitchen towel. Umi’s expression doesn't lighten up even with Nozomi’s carefree attitude.

Nozomi smiles at Eli and walks over to her.

“Glad ya decided to join us and come in from the cold, Miss Ayase. This is my younger sister, Umi.” Nozomi turns to Umi, making the introduction properly. “Umi this is Eli Ayase. She got into a little scuffle at the bar and upon discovering that she didn’t have a place to stay yet I invited her home with me to take care of the injury on her head.

“You did what?” Umi hisses at Nozomi. “Why didn’t you take her to the wizarding hospital for that? And why, on a night like tonight, would you invite a total stranger to stay at our house? A stranger that started a fight in the middle of a bar?!”

“She didn’t star---”

Eli fidgets with one of the latches on her suitcase before clearing her throat. Umi and Nozomi look at her and it takes a moment under Umi’s intense gaze for Eli to speak.

“I am sorry to interrupt,” Eli states calmly. “Miss Toujou here saw that I had been injured and kindly offered to put me up. But if I’m not welcome I can just leave. It really isn’t that big of a deal.”

The blonde runs a hand through her hair to try alleviate her nerves. She is reminded again why she stays away most of the time and why she’ll try harder next time to keep her icy exterior while in a public places.

“That’s ridiculous,” Nozomi shoots Umi a look. “Ya can’t leave if you’re still hurt, Miss Ayase. Umi-chan just isn’t used to having others inside our home. Ya are more than welcome to stay here tonight.”

The two women communicate silently for several minutes before Umi sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose.

“Fine, Nozomi.” Umi says, putting her wand pack in her pocket. “But don’t come crying to me when this goes south and I have to bail you out.”

“Don’t worry, Umi. I’ve got a good feeling about our new friend.” Nozomi grins. Her eyes return to the cut above Eli’s eye. “Oh, right. We need to take care of that. Sit over there and I’ll tend to ya in a moment. Don’t wanna let dinner burn.” She says jovially as she crosses back to the stove.

Eli nods numbly and shuffles over in the direction of the table. She sits at the far end of the table near the door, keeping her case in her lap. She really had no idea what she was getting into when she agreed to this. And Umi is still staring at her.

“I...uh...call me Eli.” she manages to say. “I don’t really care for formalities. I don’t find much use for them in my line of work.”

Eli thinks she hears Umi muttering something but she’s not exactly sure what she says, unable to catch the words properly. She can only  hope that it’s not a jinx.

“Well, Eli it is then! And ya better call me Nozomi too. Fair’s fair.” Nozomi sets a lid on the pan and then turns down the fire. “Dinner just has to sit a little longer and it will be ready.”

“I’ll go get Rin, then.” Umi nods, stiffly as she heads to the stairs. She shoots Eli a warning look before she ascends them and goes out of sight.

Eli feels herself relax, if only a little, now that the stricter sister has left the room.

“Don’t mind Umi. She’s protective and takes a bit to warm up to new people.” Nozomi explains as she rummages through a cabinet at the end of the kitchen. pulling down a few bottles and then a bag of cotton balls and bandages.

“I, um, I really don’t mind it. I’m sort of used to it, to be honest.” Eli says. She watches Nozomi approach her. She looks down at the latches on her case once more, using it as a visual anchor.. “People don’t really like me much.”

“I doubt that’s true.” Nozomi smiles, stopping in front of Eli and setting down her supplies on the table. “I like ya. Now, let’s take a look at that cut. Look up for me?”

Eli feels her ears burn.

She moves her face towards the light so that Nozomi can see properly. It’s weird at first, but Nozomi is warm and not invasive save for needing to inspect the gash. Her fingers are light as she touches her skin, barely there. Eli lets herself relax. In this position she has nowhere else to look but Nozomi’s face. From this distance she can see a light smattering of freckles at the far edges of Nozomi’s cheeks but they had mostly been covered with some sort of makeup. If she wasn’t sitting so close she would never have noticed them. She wonders why she feels the need to cover them up.

Nozomi hums as she comes to some decision about Eli’s injury.

“It doesn’t look too bad, so that’s good.” Nozomi picks out one of the bottles containing clear liquid and opens it. Taking a cotton ball and pressing it to the open lid, she tilts the bottle back just enough to dampen the cotton ball. “Now, this might sting a little but it will help prevent infection.” Nozomi says as she presses the cotton against the wound.

Eli clenches her jaw tightly to avoid letting out a cry of pain. Nozomi gently touches the cotton ball to Eli’s brow several times, doing her best to avoid hurting her. Nozomi’s concentration on her face making it difficult to hold her gaze or even study her face for much longer. Eli’s not sure where to look now that she can’t look directly at Nozomi. She looks around for anything else to focus on. It’s still awkward, being this close to someone she barely knows. Hell, it’s odd having anyone this close and Nozomi’s gentleness reminds her a bit of her mother tending to her cuts and bruises when she was little. But this woman is certainly not her mother. Eli shuts her eyes for lack of a solution. She feels relieved when Nozomi removes her hand from her face.

“Ya never did say why ya came to town.” Nozomi mentions, her words quiet. Eli can hear the other bottle being opened and a new cotton ball being sought out of the little bag.

“Didn’t I?” Eli asks, her voice coming out a bit strained through her clenched jaw. Nozomi applies a cool liquid to the wound. It is starting to feel better bit by bit.

“Nope.” Nozomi chuckles as she dabs around the edge of the cut. “Not a word about it. Care to enlighten me?”

“Well, I came here to meet up with someone. I’m a magizoologist, you see.” Eli allows herself to open her eyes as she feels a bandage being applied to her forehead. Nozomi smiles down at her and nods, pleased with the placement of the cotton and tape. “I study magical creatures and their habitats. And I’m in town in order to make a trade for a creature that has drawn my attention.”

“That’s very exciting. Ya don’t meet many Magizoologists in the city. Most people don’t bother with magical creatures outside of trying to find a way to exterminate them,” Nozomi frowns at this thought. “It’s nice to meet someone who is a bit more open minded in that regard. There, all better. Leave that on overnight and you’ll be as good as new.”

Eli touches the bandage with her hand, the other hand still on her case. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome. So, what kind of creature is it?”

“Hmm?”

“What creature has gone and gotten your attention, Eli?” Nozomi steps back to the table and puts away the first aid items.

“Oh. Um, I don’t know if you’d know it. It’s a crustacean like creature called the, uh, Mackled Malaclaw.” Eli explains.

“Nah, I’ve never heard of that one. But it sounds interesting. What’s so special about that one in particular?”

Nozomi crosses back to the stove to check on the food. The smell of the food has finally managed to outweigh the potion smell from earlier and it smells quite good. Eli can feel her stomach rumble.

“Well, the venom is quite valuable. It has the unusual side effect of making the victim unlucky for up to a week. It’s tail is also very useful in a lot of potions. High market value but I don’t want it for that.” Eli expounds, her knowledge flowing naturally, unlike her social skills. She sets her case on the ground in front of her.

“Then what do you want---” Nozomi starts to ask but her question is cut off as a rush of footsteps comes sounding down the stairs.

Eli instinctively reaches for her wand. Her instincts are screaming at her to be careful because an Erumpent is charging straight at her, which makes her all the more confused when her eyes land on a springy, wild looking girl that lands on the kitchen floor after jumping of the bottom step.

“Rin smells food!” cheers the wild girl as she throws her hands in the air. Her hair is a short, stalk of orange; strands of it standing up in random places, making her look like she’s been blown in on the wind from some remote place. Or like she’s been rolling around in a bunch of bushes.

“I told you not to run, Rin.” Umi’s voice penetrates the room as she scolds the young girl. She carefully makes her way down the stairs, returning to the room.

“Sorry, Umi!” Rin says sheepishly. She grins as she rubs the back of her neck. Eli catches a glimpse of small sharp teeth in the teens’ mouth. Definitely sharper than normal. How odd.

“Hello, my lovely Rin,” Nozomi greets the younger girl with great warmth.

“Nozomi-chan! You’re home,” Rin runs forward and throws her arms around Nozomi, lifting her with surprising ease into the air.

Eli looks on curiously. She feels a hand on her arm. Looking over, Umi is suddenly next to her as she grips Eli’s wand arm. Her fingers are tight, threatening.

“You’ll want to put that away,” Umi says lowly. “You’re not in any danger here….unless you start it.”

Eli lowers her wand as suggested, placing it back into her coat pocket.

Nozomi and Rin continue their conversation, not having noticed the exchange between their sister and Eli.

“I am. Sorry I was late. Did you have a good nap?” Nozomi asks as Rin puts her back on the ground.

“Mhm,” Rin nods. “Umi and I went for a walk in the park today and then we came back and Rin had a nap. Now Rin’s hungry.” Rin gives Nozomi one last hug before letting her go. She sniffs the air, inhaling the smell of food. “Your cooking is the best! I love i--”

Rin sniffs the air once more. Her eyes narrowing as she’s unable to make sense of what she’s smelling. Eli thinks that Rin may be smelling the potion from earlier but when Rin’s golden colored eyes land on her, Eli has to fight off the feeling that she should be running. That was happening a lot, today.

As Rin examines Eli, she creeps closer and closer, her eyes focusing intently as she approaches. Not knowing what to do, Eli stands there, blinking.

Umi watches cautiously off to the side as Rin circles around and checks the visitor from head to toe.

Leaning in close, she sniffs the air near her head. The girl seems to decide Eli poses no immediate threat because she snaps out of her focus into a bright smile.

“Hello! We never had guests before!” Rin says brightly. She continues to grin toothily at her before looking back at her sisters. “Nozomi! Umi! Who’s this?”

Umi shakes her head, her eyes darting accusatorily over to Nozomi. “This is Miss Ayase. A...friend of Nozomi’s from work. She’ll be staying the night, or so I have been told.”

Rin’s eyes widen and pure glee spread across her face. “Like, a sleep over?”

“That’s right!” Nozomi looks amused at how her sister has immediately taken to Eli, even if Eli does look uncomfortable. “But only if you’re nice to her, yea?”

“I’ll be nice! I promise!” Rin bounces excitedly as she latches onto Eli’s arm. Eli does her best not to flinch and humor the girl. She’s strong than she looks. “Oh gosh, I’ve never had a sleepover before. This will be swell!”

“Uh, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Rin. You can call me Eli.” She tries to move away from Rin, but her grip doesn’t relent an inch.

“Oooo, Eli! What a nice name!” cheers Rin and squeezes her arm even tighter. “Don’t you guys think it’s a nice name?”

“Yes, Rin, it is nice. Definitely different,” Nozomi laughs.

“Rin, please let go of Miss Ayase. You don’t know her and you might be making her uncomfortable.” Umi shoos her sister away from Eli.

“Oh, sorry! Eheh.” Rin’s enthusiasm is undeterred as she stands looking apologetic; she’s still bouncing back and forth on the balls of her feet. “But we’ll be such good friends. We can all stay up and tell ghost stories and eat snacks and sleep in sleeping bags in the living room together like a proper sleepover!”

“Rin don’t assume or get ahead of yourself making plans for other people without their consent.” Umi taps the top of Rin’s head to make her point. “Miss Ayase is only here for one night and I’m sure she doesn’t want to spend that time entertaining your sleepover ideas.”

Umi lays her hand on the top of Rin’s head. “Besides, even if she did, tonight is not the night to be doing that, remember?” She speaks gently to her, her voice is hushed. Perhaps Eli isn’t meant to hear her words, but she does.

Rin’s smile droops slightly as she nods in agreement. Her mood deflating at the reminder. “Ok. I understand. But maybe another time?” Rin looks from Umi to Eli.

Umi doesn’t answer with anything but a tilt of her head. She clearly isn’t a fan of the idea but she isn’t going to crush Rin’s hopes - yet.

Rin’s attention turns back onto Eli. She shrugs. “Uh, maybe? I am just passing through but you never know what might happen in the future.” It’s a lie, Eli knows it but she can’t say an outright ‘no’ to such an eager face. The innocence reminds her of Alisa.

The lie seems to work and Rin perks back up at the prospect of spending another day with her new ‘friend’. Cheering, she dashes over to Nozomi, hanging off her arm as she tries to finish dinner.

“Did you hear, Nozomi? She said maybe next time.”

“Yes, Rin, I did.” Nozomi smiles down at her, planting a kiss on the top of her head. “Now, can you go set the table for us. Four plates tonight, okay?”

“Okay!” Rin says and she dashes off to the cabinet and drawer to take down the dishes for dinner. She sets them out by hand, making sure each plate and utensil are in their correct places. Rin’s wand is in her back pocket, but she doesn’t use magic, another thing that reminds Eli of her sister.


	4. Dinner with Strangers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was a little longer of a wait this time but I'm within my projected two weeks time of updating that I set at the beginning. Work was a little draining but here we are. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's one of my favorites so far. Cheers!  
> \---

Dinner’s a lowkey affair as the four women partake in light conversation. Well, Eli doesn’t talk much, keeping her eyes on her food as she listens to the little family talk about their separate days. But this isn’t without its perks. She’s discovered a bit more about Umi over dinner other than the fact that she seems to dislike Eli greatly - She works or the Japanese Ministry it turns out - as an Auror.

“Umi has chased down all sorts of bad wizards. She even assisted in the capture of that crazed witch that was cursing all the Miju a few years ago,” Rin exclaims through a mouthful of pork and vegetables. The girl’s appetite is quite ravenous. She’s already starting on her third helping by the time the rest are finishing with their first.

“Rin, don’t exaggerate. I didn’t do it by myself. The whole department had a hand in it. It took ten aurors on site to execute that capture, after all.” Umi lifts her fork, placing her last piece of pork in her mouth.

“But you were the one who came up with the trap for her in the first place!” Rin insists. 

Nozomi’s smirking as she eats her rice without much hurry. “She was quite the hero that day...”

“Nozomi…” Umi blushes out of embarrassment. She clearly doesn’t enjoy the praise or attention. She looks down at her food, her shoulders hunching. “I was doing my duty. It’s really not that big of a deal.”

Watching the sisterly interactions gives Eli reason to smile. But it’s bittersweet - only a light pang in her heart as she’s reminded of eating dinner with Alisa.

“You’re as modest as ever. It  _ was _ a big deal. Ya saved a lot of lives by stopping her so give yourself some credit,” Nozomi states, simply. “Ya downplay your good qualities. It’s no way to be.”

“But modesty is admirable.” Umi interjects, picking at her rice. She’s forgets that Eli is watching the exchange; that much is clear because her guard is down.

“Not when ya don’t give yourself any credit.” 

“Yeah, Umi!” Rin says as she demolishes the last of her bowl of rice. Eli isn’t quite sure where the girl stores all that food but she’s not about to ask. “Give yourself credit. You’re amazing and we love you a lot! We just want you to see it yourself!” Rin leans closer to Umi and grins widely at her. 

Umi smiles fondly at Rin and ruffles her already wild ginger hair. 

“Thank you, Rin. I love you both t---” 

The moment is ruined as Eli’s hands decide that it’s the right time to fumble her chopsticks, each one clattering loudly against her plate before rolling onto the table. Rin laughs, but Umi’s cold gaze finds her, her closed off demeanor returning in an instant. She retracts her hand from Rin’s head and sits back in her seat. Eli apologizes profusely as Nozomi hands her the chopstick that has rolled over to her side of the table.

“Thank you,” Eli murmurs and she resumes eating her, careful to keep a solid grip on her utensils this time. 

“So,  _ Miss Ayase _ ,” Umi begins as she places her elbows on the table. She leans forward, folding her hands. “What is it that you do, exactly?”

“Be nice, Umi.” Nozomi warns her sister pointedly as she starts to clear the dishes from the table. She looks over her nose at her. 

Umi returns the look, before turning her hawk-like attention back to Eli, the interrogation continuing. Rin’s oblivious to the tension as she gnaws on the end of one of her chopsticks. 

“I’m a magizoologist.” 

“A what?” asks Rin, making quick work of the chopstick. 

“She works with magical creatures,” Nozomi explains, cleaning up the rest of the dishes before moving to the refrigerator. 

Umi tenses up but Rin looks excited. 

“Oh, that’s so cool! Rin knows a bit about magical creatures. Rin--”

“Rin.” Umi warns sharply before she looks at Nozomi again. She’s mad about something that much is clear. Well, at least more irritated than before.

Rin stops talking immediately.

“What Rin means to say is that she has a book about them that she’s had since she was a child.” Umi explains. “Right, Rin?”

Rin nods quietly, looking down. She’s done something wrong and Eli isn’t able to figure out just what yet but something in the back of her mind is nagging her.

“Ah, yes. We’ve all had one or another haven’t we?” Eli offers, feeling more comfortable talking about what she loves to do. “I had one too. But I learned more about them in school and I’ve always liked them. So, I decided to travel and study them.”

“That sounds exciting,” Rin perks back up. “I wish I could travel like that too. Maybe not looking for magical creatures but I’ve always wanted to see what it’s like in the world. But Umi and Nozomi want me to stay closer to home. Even after I finish school.”

“You’re still in school then? Mahoutokoro, huh?” Eli asks. 

“Yeah, 7th year!” Rin puffs up proudly. “Ah, but we’re on break right now.”

“Yep, Rin needs a good education first. Then she can become whatever she wants to be.” Nozomi walks back to the table, holding a few small bowls in her hands. She reaches over and takes the now half eaten chopstick from Rin. 

“What did I say about ruining the utensils, hmm?” Nozomi gently chides. Rin blushes and apologizes. 

“Just remember for next time, okay. Now, eat your dessert,” Nozomi sets a bowl pudding in front of her youngest sister.  “It’s almost bedtime.” She gestures her head to the clock. 

It’s only seven and the sun hasn’t set yet. Eli thinks its odd, but it’s not her daily routine, so who is she to judge? She once spent a week sleeping in only fifteen minute increments before and after dawn when she was tracking a colony of kneazles. 

Rin’s eyes light up at the sight of the pudding but it changes to a frown when bedtime is mentioned. “But I wanna stay up and talk to Eli some more!” 

“Rin. You know the rules.” Umi says over the bowl of pudding that Nozomi’s set in front of her. “You can speak with Miss Ayase another time.”

“Okay…” Rin slumps in her chair. She pokes at the pudding in her bowl with her spoon before eating several spoonfuls. Even the disappointment of having to go to bed didn’t dissuade her appetite. 

Feeling like Rin’s disappointment is somehow her fault, Eli searches her mind for a way to cheer her up. As she does she feels the small movement of something in her breast pocket. Eli grins as the idea comes to her.

“Hey, Rin? Would you like to meet one of my creatures?” Eli asks Rin, making eye contact with her fully for the first time that evening.

Rin is instantly on the edge of her seat. “Yes!” She licks some pudding off the side of her mouth as she looks to each of her sisters. “Can I? Is it okay?” Rin asks excitedly. Nozomi nods, a gentle smile on her face. 

Umi shrugs. “I guess that couldn’t hurt. As long it won’t ruin the house…” She raises an eyebrow at Eli for confirmation.

“Nope, he won’t.” She reaches into her breast pocket and coaxes out her little friend. He crawls onto the palm of her hand and she brings him out so that Rin can see

Rin’s eyes immediately widen in amazement. Umi and Nozomi also watch on with keen interest.

“This is my Bowtruckle, Shin.” Eli shows off the twig-like creature in her hand. His small, green limbs cling to her fingers to steady himself. “He likes to hang out in my pocket for warmth. Stubborn little guy but he’s very friendly.” 

Eli runs a finger across the back of the little Bowtruckles back and it gives off a tiny squeak of pleasure. Rin leans forward to get a better look at him, her eyes wide.

“He’s so small!” Rin looks at him in awe as she extends a finger towards Shin. 

“Mhm. He’s the smallest in his Branch.” Shin moves close to the edge of Eli’s hand and towards Rin. 

“Branch?” Rin tilts her head in question.

“His family. A family of Bowtruckles is called a ‘Branch’.” Eli explains. 

“Oh...that makes sense.” Rin gasps. “Wait, he’s just like me! I’m also the smallest in my family.” She giggles as Shin uses his tiny plant like stump to ‘shake’ Rin’s finger. “Umi! Nozomi! Did you see that?” 

“Sure did,” Nozomi chuckles as she watches. She’s back over to the cabinet and grabs two more bowls of pudding.

“Yep.” Eli relaxes as she talks about the Bowtruckle to Rin, a smile settling onto her face. “You’ve got a lot in common, I’m sure you’ll be fast friends.”

“Can I hold him?” Rin asks. Umi looks worried but Eli nods. 

“It should be alright. He’s not as fragile as he looks,” Eli get’s the Bowtruckle’s attention. He nods. “And Shin’s okay with it.”

Eli cups her hands together and extends them towards Rin, who mimics her motions. Shin uses the two sets of hands as a bridge and clambers over to Rin’s where he crawls slowly up her arm. Rin laughs happily at the sensation as Shin explores her. Eli watches with amusement. 

“Thank you,” A whisper near Eli’s ear startles her ear as a bowl is placed front of her. She turns to look at Nozomi, taking in the warmth of her expression.

“No problem. I’m happy to teach others about my creatures.” Eli responds shyly. She looks down and sees that her bowl is full of chocolate pudding. Eli gasps without thinking. “Harasho!”

Nozomi looks over at Eli and giggles at her expression. “Harasho?” Nozomi asks. “What does that mean?”

“Um...it’s Russian...” Eli averts her gaze. “It means ‘good’ or ‘amazing’. Sorry.”

“It’s cute.” Nozomi comments. “I guess you’re a chocolate lover then, huh?” 

Eli nods, digging into her pudding with her spoon. She ignores Nozomi’s declaration of cuteness in favor for the delicious dessert. Priorities, truly.

“Lucky,” Rin says in between giggles as Shin crawls up onto her shoulder, tickling her. He’s chattering pleasantly at Rin and having a good time. “I’m not allowed to have chocolate. I always get vanilla because I get tummy aches.”

“That’s a shame,” Eli takes a pause in between bites. “Are you allergic?”

“Kind of?” Rin says hesitantly. But she doesn’t elaborate. “Just get tummy aches.”

“Ah. Well, that’s too bad indeed, because chocolate has to be the best thing in the whole world.”

“Is that so?” Nozomi smirks. Eli finds herself looking at her, locking eyes. She swallows the last bite of her pudding before nodding seriously. Nozomi’s gaze is quite intense. The green of her eyes seem to be brighter than Eli remember it being earlier. The clock on the wall rings loudly signalling the half hour. The noise jars Eli out of her thoughts and she looks away. 

The noise stirs Nozomi and Umi into a sudden urgent awareness, the mood changing immediately as they check the window seeing that the sun is drifting below the horizon.

“Are ya finished with your pudding?” Nozomi asks, getting up. She hasn’t even touched her pudding. 

“Yep! Happy bowl!” She uses her free hand that wasn’t playing with the Bowtruckle to show Nozomi the proof of her words.

“Good girl,” Nozomi smiles.

“Time to get ready for bed,” Umi stands, clearing the dessert dishes. 

Nozomi slides Eli her portion of pudding with a wink. Eli doesn’t question the additional serving of chocolate as she begins eating.

“But Umi I want to play with Shin some more!” Rin whines and hugs the bowtruckle tightly to her. Eli hopes she wasn’t crushing him like she had her earlier.

“No arguing, Rin. Now, please give Shin back to Miss Ayase and go upstairs and change for bed.” Umi sternly looks at the ginger-haired girl. “When you come back down, you’ll drink your potion.”

“Okay…” Rin knows this is a fight she cannot win. She scratches her ear before hopping up and over to Eli. 

“Thanks for letting me meet Shin. I think he’s fantastic!” Rin beams at her as she hands the him back to Eli. 

“You’re quite welcome, Rin.” Eli smiles, returning Shin back to his place in her pocket. “I’ll make sure you get to say goodbye before I leave tomorrow.” 

“Thanks, Eli!” Rin squeals and then hugs Eli tightly.

Eli’s stunned at the sudden contact, the force of the smaller girl’s grip still impressive as Eli struggles to breath. She catches a whiff of the potion from earlier off of Rin’s clothing and something finally clicks in Eli’s brain. Her eyes widen in realization just as Nozomi interrupts the hug.

“Rin, don’t crush our guest.” 

“Oh! Sorry.” Rin lets go of her. “Thanks again!” The small girl darts off up the stairs, running with her arms behind her as fast as she she can. 

“She’s quite enthusiastic,” Eli comments, rubbing the soreness from her ribs. 

“She is.” Nozomi laughs as waves her wand and the dishes begin to wash themselves in the sink.

“Strong too,” Eli adds. 

Umi shakes her head as she shares one last look with Nozomi. Then she follows her youngest sister up the stairs presumably to make sure she’s not dawdling.

“She’s like the rest,” Eli comments when Umi’s out of earshot. “She doesn’t like me.”

“She doesn’t know you yet,” corrects Nozomi. “So, she’s cautious with you. It’s her nature.”

“And what about you? You don’t know me either.” Eli asks curiously as she watches the dishes float from the rinse water and into the draining rack.

Nozomi just smiles at her without saying a word. Eli feels awkward and reaches her hand into her pocket where Shin was. She feels comforted by his presence as he latches onto her fingers. 

Lost in her thoughts, Eli is startled when Nozomi was in front of her again. Watching her with interest.

“What?” Eli asks.

“Nothing,” Nozomi smiles. “C’mon. I’ll show where ya are staying for the night.”

Eli nods and follows closely behind after retrieving her case.

\---

The upstairs room that Eli’s been given for the night is comfortable and lived in. The bed is soft which is a stark contrast from Eli’s usual adventures into the wild. A clean bed and fluffy pillows are a far cry from camping in a tent and sleeping on a bedroll. She’s grateful for the lodgings but even with their high level of comfort, Eli finds that sleep still eludes her.

Laying on top of a purple quilt, she doesn’t bother turning down the covers as she looks at the ceiling. Her thoughts are full of what her next move should be. She’d lied to Nozomi earlier, but only in part. She does need to locate a magical creature dealer tomorrow. She needs to get her hands on the Mackled Malaclaw but she’d left out the reason she needed it. The venom from the Malaclaw would aid her in her task. Whomever had taken Alisa had been tactical about it. They had been prepared which means that this wasn’t an coincidence. Eli didn’t know  _ why _ her sister had been taken but she knew it wouldn’t be easy finding her. She would need all of the tools she could get her hands on when it came to facing those wizards. Not to mention the high value of the Malaclaw venom she didn’t use that she could sell should she need to gather more resources. 

Yes, she needs to locate this magical creature dealer in the morning. Once she does that she’ll be able to beginning trading for information about where Alisa might have been taken. She needs to get moving on that quickly because the only clues she has are the notes from the local Miju police enforcement that had discovered her Grandmother’s house and the few items she’d weaseled out of their evidence locker. A few obliviate spells had definitely served her well in that quest.

Eli frowns. The incident earlier at  _ The Idle Troll  _ that had impeded her first night of looking. She’d been injured and gotten nothing done. Unfruitful and annoying, even if she had gotten a free meal and lodging for the night. Bringing her hand to the bandage on her forehead she removes it carefully and feels the spot underneath. The cut is already gone. 

Eli brings the bandage to her nose, recognizing the scent of Fluxweed. 

‘She probably distilled the plant herself,’ Eli thinks as she discards the bandage in a wastebasket nearby. ‘Handy to be an herbologist these days.’

Eli sits up on the bed and swings her feet over the edge. She spots a few pictures sitting on the desk and she walks over, taking interest in the subjects of the photos. Picking up the frame, she looks at three young girls in it, each with different colored hair - purple, blue and orange - are clustered around a table and staring at a large cake set in the center of it. Eli recognizes the table and kitchen as the one downstairs. It is also easy to recognize the happy faces of her hosts as the children in the photo. The cake is decorated in lavender flowers and in the middle of the group sits little Nozomi, her green eyes lit up with happiness as she squeezes baby Rin and Umi to her right before the picture was taken. She looks so happy with her hair in braided twin tails and her sisters near her. Eli makes note of the brown freckles that cover the tops of the little girl’s cheeks and nose in this photo. 

Eli smiles at the photo, wondering if that’s the reason that Nozomi wears so much makeup or if there was another reason and she has outgrown her freckles. She thinks the freckles are adorable on this small version of Nozomi and she can’t help but think that they might still suit the grownup Nozomi as well. They’re whimsical and free, like Nozomi seems to be.

Eli blinks and shakes her head. This isn’t what she should be thinking about right now. She should be asleep or making a plan. She’s gotta stay focused and she’s isn’t the best with people anyhow so thinking on what Nozomi might or might not look like with freckles is unimportant. She sets the photo back in it’s spot, the light dust in the room showing her exactly where it was. The homiest of the sisters, Nozomi, didn’t strike her as someone who dusts much. She’s neat, judging by the room she’s in, but dusting seems like an extra detail that Nozomi didn’t worry herself with. Umi seems like a duster. But she works too much and that’s still neither here nor there. 

Deciding she’s thirsty and that a glass of water might help her get to sleep, she exits the small room and makes her way down the back staircase. Shin yawns in the front pocket of her pajama shirt and she rubs his head with a finger. 

“I know it’s late, isn’t it, buddy?” Eli chuckles.

As she makes her way down the stairs, Eli does her best to be quiet. She doesn’t want to wake anyone in the house. Reaching the bottom step, she stops in her tracks, a light snoring reaching her ears as her gaze lands on the source of the noise.

Across the room, a figure is curled up on the stairwell heading to the basement.

Earlier, Eli had overheard something peculiar. From the sound of it, Rin would be sleeping in the basement that night. It was something else she hadn’t been meant to hear. She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop this time but Umi’s voice carried from the small bathroom upstairs as she helped Rin get ready for bed. This piece of the puzzle only confirmed what Eli had been thinking when she realized that the scent in the potion and on Rin’s clothing was Aconite. 

She had no doubt Umi that had made sure that Rin drank a full goblet of the potion she had made before she went into the room in the basement. And judging by the large lock on the basement door that she’s looking at now, Rin had been secured inside for the night. 

Eli doesn’t think it cruel. It’s a natural precaution to take, after all. And Umi may been stern but when it came to Rin it’s clear that she would never harm her youngest sister.

Drawing nearer, Eli expects to perhaps see Rin laying on the stairwell, having escaped the confines of the basement, but the lock was still on the door. Creeping closer, Eli steps into the light and is surprised to when her eyes land on a familiar head of purple hair. 

Tucked in the corner near the basement door, Nozomi is sound asleep and wearing her nightdress. Her light snoring comes and goes as she curls into herself. Her hair wisps floating away from her face with each soft breath.

It suddenly occurs to Eli that by staying the night she had unintentionally displaced Nozomi from her bed. All the purple and the photographs in the room suddenly made sense. She feels a sense of guilt overwhelm her as she watches Nozomi sleep. She should have realized this sooner.

Eli should have insisted that she sleep on the couch. But Nozomi had been persistent that she take the upstairs bedroom, assuring her that it would be no trouble. Though, if that was the case, then why was Nozomi sleeping on the stairs instead of the couch?

She looks from Nozomi to the living room. The couch is made up with blankets and linens for someone to sleep there. This confuses her more. She makes a small gesture as she tries to suss it out, finally letting out a sigh. It would probably do her no good to try to figure out how this made sense.

“Shouldn’t you be in bed?” Umi’s voice suddenly came from behind Eli, causing her to leap away from the other woman. Luckily she chooses to jump to her left and not into the basement stairwell. That would have really hurt and she would have landed on top of Nozomi.

Umi’s gaze intensely holds Eli in place, waiting for an answer.

“Gah,” Eli clutches her chest trying to regain her breath. What is it with this women? “What are you a wizard ninja?” 

“No, I’m a trained Auror. Silence is generally the best weapon.” Umi comments, not making herself sound any less scary than before.

“Right. Well, it’s creepy. Try not to do that again. I’ve had enough scares for one day,” Eli runs a hand over her forehead as she stands back up.

“I’m just making sure you don’t do anything you might regret.” 

“I already regret meeting you...” she mumbles.

“What was that?” Umi’s eye twitches.

“Nothing.” Eli grumbles. “I’m not doing anything. I just came down stairs for a glass of water.”

“Uhuh.” Umi doesn’t take her eyes off of Eli for a second.

Eli straightens up a bit, trying to use her full height to show some sort of dignity.

Across the room, Nozomi stirrs lightly as she cuddles farther up into the corner of the stairs. The sound draws Umi’s attention and a small sound of exasperation escapes her lips. But there is a softness behind it. 

“That can’t be comfortable,” Eli comments as she watches Nozomi. 

Umi’s already walking towards the stairwell. Her head shaking at the sight of her sister’s odd angle that she’s sleeping in. She examines closely as Eli looks on..

“She fell asleep with her makeup on again,” Umi says with a frown. It’s more a comment to herself than anything else. “She’s gonna make herself sick sleeping like this.”

“It’s because she’s worried.” Eli speaks up. “Lycanthrope transformations are nothing to take lightly. I can see why she would want to be near Rin.”

Umi’s attention snaps back to Eli. She looks like she is considering whether or not to obliviate her.

Eli blinks. The change of atmosphere is not lost on her. “Was that something I wasn’t supposed to know?”

Umi rises to her full height as she stares intimidatingly at Eli. Even if she is shorter, the force of her personality carries a massive weight. “No, not really.” 

Eli shrugs. This isn’t the first time she’s been in danger recently. Umi was at least a somewhat known entity to her. And besides, she’s long since stopped caring about learning things she’s not supposed to know. A habit of the trade. The more knowledge she had, the better she could do her job. 

“Observation is one of my specialties. Helps with the beasts, especially in their home environments.”

“I see,” Umi purses her lips. “How did you figure it out, then?”

“First off all, most people don’t sleep locked away in the basement. Especially during the time near full moon. That was a big clue.” Eli ticks off things on her slender fingers. Umi rolls her eyes. “Secondly, I recognized the potion you were making earlier. Well, not so much the potion but I recognized its smell. I couldn’t name it at first but eventually I realized that it was Aconite or more commonly known as ‘Wolfsbane’. A dead giveaway if Rin’s eyes and elongated canines weren’t already...” She points to one of the planters at the far end of the kitchen, far away from food. “And third, Nozomi is growing it too. The pots.” Eli gestures to the kitchen. “I just connected the dots.”

“You certainly are a smart one,” Umi isn’t impressed even though her words suggest that she might be. She’s sizing up Eli in more detail now that Eli knows their secret. “I knew it was a bad idea when Nozomi said you were staying the night. Strangers always bring trouble into our house.” 

Nozomi turns over in her sleep and clutches a pillow they hadn’t noticed before tightly to her. A single comfort. Umi kneels down again, running a hand over Nozomi’s hair, watching her sleep. 

“I’m not gonna tell anyone,” Eli says, her voice a whisper. “I don’t want to cause you any trouble. Besides, you’ve taken the proper precautions. All that you can. Rin seems like a good kid too.”

“She is wonderful’. A devoted sister. I won’t let anything happen to her.” 

“Right, I get that. You don’t gotta tell me that twice. Also, Nozomi’s been kind to me when she didn’t have to. I’m not gonna screw you over just because Rin isn’t like everyone else. Believe me, I know what it’s like to be different, and it’s certainly not in my nature to betray those that have helped me. And besides, I don’t want to draw attention to myself while I’m here and reporting you to the Japanese Ministry would only tie me up in paperwork.”

“You’re a very suspicious character, Miss Ayase.” Umi clenches her jaw. “But you keep your end of the bargain about Rin and I won’t curse you into the next decade.”

“Sounds fair,” Eli rubs the back of her neck. She doesn’t want to know the strength of Umi’s spells. Her eyes flit over to Nozomi again, whose neck looks like it’s been jammed into the corner. “Does she always sleep like that?” Eli asks trying to change the subject. 

“Only on the nights leading up to and following the full moon.” Umi says, moving down to Nozomi and picking her up in her arms. 

Carrying her bridal style over to the couch, Umi gently places Nozomi down and begins working on tucking her into the blanket that she left behind.“It’s as you said. She likes to be close to Rin. She doesn’t want her to be lonely. I suspect she sang to her until she was sure she went to sleep.”

“That’s sweet,” Eli admits as she fidgets. “I know that I’d want someone to sing to me if I had to be alone like that.”

“Anyone would. Especially since it is Nozomi. Her singing is lovely.” Umi’s expression softens as she looks at her sister. 

Eli looks back at the basement door. Again, she feels like she’s intruding.  She has no place here among these women. And it only makes her wonder what it would be like to be back with her family again after so long. But that time has passed. All she had left was Alisa. She had been on her way to visit them when her Grandmother’s message had arrived. Umi’s voice breaks her out of the chaos of her thoughts.

“Miss Ayase,” Umi wields Eli’s name like a weapon against her, drawing her attention directly to her. “I’m still unsure of what you are really doing in town, but I don’t know that I want to know, either. Your business is your business outside of this house. All I know is that we’ve done our good deed and you’ve been civil up until now. Keep our secret and you’ll have repaid our kindness. Our life together is precious to me so I can’t put into words what I would do to someone who ruined it.” 

Eli swallows. She’s unable to tear her eyes away from Umi’s gaze. 

“Now, I think you should get some sleep if you’re going to be on your way tomorrow,” Umi’s words dismiss her. 

Nodding firmly, Eli makes a silent promise to the woman standing in front of her. She’ll be gone as soon as she can be.

Taking her cue, Eli turns around and heads for the stairs. Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, Eli glances back into the kitchen. Umi’s made her way over to the stairs, taking up Nozomi’s original post near the door. The blue-haired woman is speaking softly to the door and whether or not Rin can hear what she’s saying saying behind the door is unclear, but it doesn’t seem to matter to Umi. She stays there, taking the second shift. It’s clear to Eli that this is their routine, even if Umi might deny it the next day if she asked her. 

Eli goes up the stairs, returning to her room. Not knowing if she’ll be able to sleep now, she goes over to her case and opens it. Stepping into the opening, she quickly disappears. Hoping that a few hours of tending to her creatures will do her mind and her emotions some good as she processes all she’s seen this evening.


	5. Breakfast with 'friends'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for the wait. But here is the new chapter.

The only way to describe the atmosphere of the house when Eli gets up the next morning is warm. Though, cozy comes in at a close second as the smell of cooking wafts upstairs and in through the crack underneath the bedroom that Eli had borrowed the night before. It’s familiar and pleasant churning up sense memories from childhood when she used to offer to help her mother cook or when she would go to her grandmother’s house and watch with her nose peeking over the counter top as the old woman flitted around the kitchen making Eli’s favorite foods. When Alisa came along, not much changing as everything stayed pleasant and light. It wasn’t until they moved in with their grandmother that things had changed. Everything had changed in a way that Eli didn’t like to think about but couldn’t avoid. And then, as soon as she was able, Eli graduated from school and moved onto the wider world with eagerness she couldn’t conceal. But even out in the world by herself she still ached for the family she had left behind.

That ache lingers in her, mixing with her guilt and lack of sleep as she descends the stairs, dressed in fresh trousers, shirt and vest, the string of her pocket watch chain glinting in the light. Her case and coat close at hand as she reenters the three sisters’ world. 

She’s once again greeted by the bright colors and plant life of the kitchen as they bathe in the morning light that streams through the large panes of glass over the sink. 

The smell of food engulfs her senses as she watches Nozomi slide an extra helping of sausages onto a famished Rin’s plate; her hair is tousled and wild, sticking out near her ears and on the crown of her head. As soon as the food touches her plate it seems like it is gone. Across from her, Umi frowns disapprovingly over a half finished cup of black coffee.

“Rin, need I remind you to chew?” Umi scolds. “You’ll choke if you keep up at that rate.”

Swallowing a huge mouthful of food, Rin looks sheepishly at her older sister and grins toothily, the canine teeth in her mouth are still abnormally pointy. Eli’s previous research from the subject tells her that it takes a few days for the obvious signs of lycanthropy during the full moon to fade, much like the moon face itself as it wanes. 

“Sorry! I’m just super hungry this morning. And Nozomi’s cooking is yummy. I can’t help myself!” Rin beams. 

“Well, I guess that is fair. She is a great cook.” Umi considers. She finishes her coffee and returns the cup to resting on its saucer in front of her. “But do try to slow down a bit. Remember, being careful--.”

“Reaps rewards.” Rin finishes in sync with Umi. 

“I know,” Rin answers before putting another forkful of food into her mouth. “You say it all the time, how could I not remember?”

“It’s true.” Umi points a finger at her younger sister. “You should take my advice, Rin. You’ve got to be careful these days.”

“Risks have their rewards too,” Nozomi says in a sing-song tone as she waves her wand and few more sausages fly from a nearby package into the frying pan. Eli notices the lack of makeup on her face this morning. It confirms Eli’s hunch that Nozomi still sports a full swath of freckles like she did in the photo from when she was a child. She can’t help but smile as she watches her, taking in her clean face. Eli thinks she prefers Nozomi this way, freckles cascading over her nose and cheeks, dappling the skin beneath her eyes. Her smile even seems brighter because of it. Perhaps it is because she looks more natural without the thick layer of foundation. Unable to hide, more honest. It suits her. But it might be impolite to say that. Especially when the current conversation isn’t about that.

“Yes, but to risk too much is unhealthy.” Umi frowns as the thought of something else crosses her face. She stands and picks up the folded newspaper in front of her. In a few short strides she’s next to Nozomi, speaking quietly. Rin uses Umi’s distraction to enthusiastically lick her plate as she holds it up to her face. 

“Have you read the paper this morning?” She asks her older sister, holding up the newspaper. The headline is partly obscured by the fold but Eli gets a look at the moving mugshots of several sunken eyed wizards. 

Nozomi hums, her back still to the rest of the kitchen. The bottom of her apron rustles as she brushes the front of the stove as she directs a knife next to her to cut fruit into slices on a wooden board.

“I did.” She confirms, seemingly unconcerned with whatever Umi’s talking about as she continues tending to the last of breakfast. 

“Good, then make sure you’re careful coming home tonight. I would come pick you up but I’m on call tonight and have to stay late.” Umi informs her in a strict tone. By the way she talks, it sounds like she should be the oldest instead of Nozomi. .”I don’t want you walking home in the dark. I don’t want you or Rin taking any chances with this”

“My darling little sister worries too much,” Nozomi coos sweetly as she pinches Umi’s cheek with her free hand. 

“And I think you worry too little. Taking precautions isn’t a bad thing, Nozomi.” Umi pulls away, rubbing the sore spot on her cheek where Nozomi’s fingers had been. 

“I’m safe and I’m always aware of my surroundings. It’s hard not to be.” Nozomi reassures her. “But I’ll be extra careful about things if that’ll make ya feel better about it.”

“It would. Thank you.” Umi looks relieved.

“You’re quite welcome. But ya better be careful too.” Nozomi crosses her arms at looks pointedly at her. 

“I’m always careful. I’m an auror. We’re careful by nature.”

“I don’t know about that. Willingly fighting dark magic by choice each day? Sounds pretty risky to me.” Nozomi smirks, the fruit slices float from the cutting board to a small bowl.

“We’re trained to help defend wizard kind and uphold the International Statute of Secrecy. We do our service to the rest of Wizardkind.”

“Yes, I know.” Nozomi’s finishes cooking, the sausages resting on a nearby plate. With her wand put away in the front pocket of her apron, she wipes her hands of on the bottom of it before reaching out to Umi, her hands on her sister’s shoulders. She looks at her with something Eli has trouble discerning. It’s searching, tender. 

“I just worry sometimes about ya,” Nozomi admits. “Don’t work too hard, okay?’ The words are serious but she’s still smiling. All the while smiling, but something lingers unsaid behind her eyes. She plants a kiss in the center of Umi’s forehead. “And don’t forget to eat your lunch.” 

Umi looks bashful, a striking change to her previously stern demeanor, as Nozomi trades the newspaper in Umi’s hands with a neatly wrapped bento, the dark navy of the cloth delicately wrinkling as Umi makes a quiet promise to do her best.

Eli looks away, shuffling in place. She shouldn’t be intruding on such a private family scene. She takes a step backwards, deciding it would be best to leave, but her presence is given away when the floorboard beneath her creaks.

Rin looks up from her plate faster than a Niffler sniffing out a bucket of gold coins. She perks up, stumbling from her chair and bolting forward to greet Eli. Caught in a bone-cracking hug, Eli does her best not to freak out as Rin continues to cling onto her. The other effect of Lycanthropy is increased strength. The textbooks were accurate about that fact as Eli struggles to break free before she suffocates. 

“Rin,” Nozomi chides. “Don’t crush her. I’m sure Eli won’t appreciate if you do.”

“Oh, whoops!” Rin releases Eli and looks apologetic. “I’m sorry. I got excited!”

Eli staggers against the door frame, clutching her side. “I can see that...” she wheezes.

Nozomi’s stifled laughter is hard to miss but so is the return of Umi’s serious mood as she crosses the room and gathers her jacket off the back of the chair she had been sitting in. She views Eli with a calculated look - a subtle warning if Eli ever saw one - before she places a hand on Rin’s shoulder. 

“Try to control it.” Umi’s voice is pointed and Rin nods. “What are your plans for the day, Rin?”

Rin smiles up at her sister and nods. “I’m supposed to meet up with my friends for lunch. Kayochin found this awesome crepe shop in Ikebukuro that she wants to try!”

Umi does her best not to frown. But her concern is clear. “Ikebukuro?”

“Mhm! It should be fun!” Rin beams. “But that reminds me, we are supposed to go shopping beforehand so I should shower and get dressed!”

Before Umi can comment further, Rin is already tearing her way up the stairs. “Have a good day at work, Umi!”

“Just get back before dark!” Umi calls after her.

“I will!”

Umi sighs, her eyes still on the stairs.

“She’ll be fine.” Nozomi reassures from across the room.

“I know. There are just so many people in Ikebukuro. Most of them Miju. I just don’t want anything to happen.”

“It won’t. Now go or you’ll be late for work.” Nozomi shoos her into moving towards the hall. 

“I’m going. But remember what I said.” Umi puts on her jacket, then looks at Eli. “I hope the rest of your travels go well, Miss Ayase. It was a pleasure.”

Eli doesn’t know if she actually means that, but she nods in response. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

Umi snorts. “Thank Nozomi, not me. But you are welcome. Have a good day. I’ll be back later, Nozomi!”

“I’ll have dinner ready! Have a good day, Umi!” 

The front door opens and closes, the lock clicking into place behind Umi as she leaves. 

Eli remains in the doorway, unsure what to do now. Her case sits on the floor next to her with her coat folded and draped over the top. She hadn’t wanted to leave them upstairs.

“Well, I guess I should be going now--”

“Nonsense.” Nozomi places her hands on her hips and she smirks at Eli. “Ya haven’t had breakfast yet. I’m not letting ya leave without putting something in that stomach of yours. Ya look like a beanpole, food will do ya some good. Now, sit, sit.”

Not having much choice in the matter, Eli comes over to the table and chooses the most unobtrusive chair before she settles in as the dishes that Rin and Umi were using are whisked away with a flick of Nozomi’s wand. They land in the sink and begin scrubbing themselves in the soap-filled basin. 

In the next moment, the small bowl of fruit has landed in front of Eli, along with a plate of toast. 

“No rice?” Eli asks as she stares at the bread and fruit, then looks over at the frying pan that Nozomi has set on the fire.

“It’s something different. And Rin likes the fun of a western breakfast. Today was a good morning for it, so that’s what I made.” Nozomi shrugs. “Now, how do you like your eggs?”

“Um, actually. I don’t eat eggs?” Eli mumbles.

“Curious but okay. No eggs for Eli.” Nozomi turns back to the stove, pondering her next move. “Are sausages okay?”

“Yes, those are fine.” She nods.

“Alright. I’ll just make some eggs for me, if ya don’t mind waiting.” 

“I don’t mind.”

Grabbing two eggs from a bowl on the counter, Nozomi cracks them against the rim of the skillet and hums an upbeat tune. Her wand is still tucked away in her apron as she uses skillful fingers to break open each shell. She is careful not to break any of the yokes as they make contact with the hot oil in the skillet. 

“Not using magic this time?” Eli wonders aloud as she pops a piece of strawberry into her mouth.

“You’re very observant, Eli.” Nozomi glances over her shoulder at her. “Eggs are delicate so I like to do them by hand. It’s much easier to cook them perfectly that way without burnin’ them. My mother taught me that one!” She grins before she turns back to tending the eggs with the spatula in her other hand. 

“That makes sense.” Eli nibbles another piece of fruit. “My grandmother liked to make bread by hand. I assume for the same reason.”

“Yes, bread can be tricky. And it is also very satisfying to make by hand. Ya can get out any frustrations too when ya knead it.” Nozomi gives the air a one-two punch with her balled fists. 

The motion catches Eli off guard and she laughs, the sound is bubbly and unrestrained. There’s a sparkle in Nozomi’s eye as she continues to cook and make conversation.

“How’s your head?”

“Much better, thank you.” Eli touches the spot on her forehead where her injury was, the skin now smooth and pale as if nothing had ever happened. She examines the plants above them, regarding their considerable growth and lushness. “You’ve got a knack for this sort of thing. Healing, that is.”

“Just a specialty of mine. I’ve studied healing quite a bit during school. Herbal and otherwise.”

“Then why didn’t you decide to work at a hospital? I think they could use someone as skilled as you.” 

There is a notable tension in Nozomi’s back as Eli watches her.

“I just didn’t think it was a career path for me. I don’t think I would do well in a stuffy atmosphere like a hospital. I’m a bit more of a free spirit.” She jokes but the tone of her voice falls flat. “I’m happy doing what I do now.”

“Working at an Izakaya?” Eli doesn’t mean for it to come across as rude but sometimes her voice just sounds that way. The air between them changes immediately. Eli doesn’t like it. 

Nozomi stares straight ahead as she slides the cooked eggs onto her plate. She silently adds the fried sausages to her plate and another next to it. Next, she slides some hashbrowns onto the plates from a skillet Eli hadn’t notice before now. They are golden brown and look delicious. Potatoes are definitely something she eats and loves. Eli can feel herself salivating. But she needs to make amends first. 

“Um, sorry. That was...” Eli scratches the back of her head. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Nozomi does her best to brush it off, but it’s clearly affected her. “But it is true. I enjoy working there. And Nicocchi is a good boss and a good friend. It’s fun. And I get to meet new people all the time.” She’s hanging up her apron on a nearby hook. Her cheerful smile is back on her face as she turns around and scoops up the plates. 

“And if I wasn’t working there we never would have met, so I consider it quite a good thing,” she winks as she sets down a plate in front of Eli. 

Eli’s cheeks feel hot again. She nods as she stares down at her plate. “I hadn’t thought about that.” 

Nozomi chuckles and takes her seat across the table. Settling in, she claps her hands together.

“All ready. Shall we?”

“I’m surprised you haven’t already eaten.” Eli admits, following her lead, clapping hers together. “I thought you would have wanted to have breakfast with your family.”

“We gratefully receive this food!” Nozomi says before picking up her fork and responds properly to Eli’s question. “Well, I didn’t want ya to eat by yourself. I thought it would be rude. And I’m never hungry when I first wake up, so the timing is better now. I’m starving. Let’s eat.”

Eli nods, looking over at her host’s plate. The eggs are cooked perfectly. Eli guesses that Nozomi does know what she is talking about. She feels the edges of her mouth quirk upward before she tucks into her own plate of food. 

As they eat, there is a silence that falls between them. But unlike most of the silences that Eli experiences in her day to day life, this one isn’t overwhelmingly awkward. Eli feels at ease but she does fidget in her chair, her mannerisms out of place with Nozomi’s more graceful ones. Eli fumbles a bit with her silverware before she falls into a rhythm. She saves the rest of her fruit for last, choosing to feed most of the remaining pieces to Shin, who is still hanging out in her vest pocket. The bowtruckle munches happily but ends up with a sticky face from the juices. Eli lets out a low laugh before using her napkin to clean him up.

“You’re very kind.” 

Eli looks back up, forgetting Nozomi has been watching her from across the table. 

“Just being helpful.” Eli murmurs with a shrug. She averts her eyes from Nozomi’s gaze. 

“Yes, but you’re still kind. Ya take care of him very gently when ya don’t have to. Most people don’t take as great care in their work as ya do.” She’s smiling as Eli eases the little bowtruckle back into hiding in her pocket. 

“It’s what I love doing,” Eli admits, taking the last strawberry for herself and munching softly. “And beasts are far easier than people.” 

Nozomi makes a small curious noise as she regards Eli. The topic changes. 

“Do you work today?” Eli asks. 

“I do, but not until this afternoon. What about you? Do you know where you’re going to find the man you’re looking for?” Nozomi’s leaning onto her hands as she speaks. 

“No,” Eli shakes her head. “But it won’t do me any harm if I wander around the city for a little while and get my bearings. I have one contact I can speak with and see if they know anything about what I’m looking for. That will take me near Asakusa.”

“Well, that’s lucky.” 

“How so?” 

“For one, it is an interesting part of town and two I was headed that direction myself for a few errands. Mind if I tag along with you? It’s always nicer when you have someone to travel with, right?”

“I...” Eli’s uncertain about that prospect. She doesn’t want to get Nozomi tangled up in any of her affairs. She’s already been nice to her when she has had no need to be. But Eli might find her way there faster if Nozomi was along. Eli’s internal compass is thrown off by the massive city already, she didn’t want to spend hours being lost. 

At last, she nods. “That’s fine.”

“Great,” Nozomi claps, rising from her seat. “I’ll go get ready while you finish up here.” She takes her plate over to the sink, scraping off any leftover food. Eli makes note that she didn’t eat most of it, but doesn’t say anything. 

She nods instead as Nozomi heads upstairs. When Eli hears the bathroom door close and the shower come on, she slumps in her seat. She feels full but less than ready for the day ahead. 

“I’ll find her.” Eli says out loud. Shin chirps in agreement from her pocket. She moves her hand down to pick him up, letting him crawl over her fingers. 

“Thanks. That means a lot.” Eli runs a finger over his head as he hugs her thumb. Focusing on him, she’s able to press down the anxiety in her belly and begin planning her day.

 

 


	6. Asakusa

When Nozomi returns downstairs, she looks refreshed and is wearing a dark blue dress that hits her at the knee. The neckline is low, but modest and the sleeves billow and ruffle at the elbows in a bell-like shape. The thigh high stockings and matching shoes do nothing but make the outfit more flattering and Eli can’t help but stare. Especially since Nozomi’s hair in braided in a line over the crown of her, flows into a low ponytail on her left side. It’s a softer look than the day before when Eli met her, but it is very, very pretty.

“I hope I didn’t keep ya waitin’ long,” Nozomi asks as she reaches the bottom of the stairs where Eli is leaning against the hallway wall. 

Eli doesn’t answer as she continues to watch her with a curious expression. 

“Somethin’ on my face?” Nozomi asks, poking Eli’s arm as she walks by to grab her coat out of the hallway closet. 

“Uh, no. Well, yes...sort of?” Eli coughs. She’s made things awkward again. “I just noticed that you put makeup on. You weren’t wearing any this morning.” 

“No, I left it off for this mornin’ I accidentally slept in it last night. All the excitement had me distracted.” She says as she buttons up. “I needed to let my face breathe but since we’re goin’ out I reapplied it. I wouldn’t want to scare anyone if I left it off.” 

She adds a wink as she laughs. The twinkle of mischief returning to her turquoise eyes.

Eli shakes her head matter of factly though she can only hold Nozomi’s woman’s gaze for a moment. Eli thinks Nozomi is smoothing akin to a spider beast. Cunning, inviting. But that couldn’t be because there’s no malice behind her gaze.

“No, you wouldn’t scare anyone off you look very nice. A peak specimen, I think.” Eli chooses her words carefully and utter them very dryly. This might be a trap and she best stay on her toes. Humans were some of the most dangerous creatures after all. 

Nozomi raises an eyebrow in question but Eli ignores the smile playing at the edge of Nozomi’s lips.

“Are you ready to go, then?” Eli hurries in asking.

“I am,” Nozomi nods, letting the interesting comment go. With her purse on her arm she stops just short of the threshold and holds the door open for Eli. Outside, the people on the street hurry by as they did the night before; uncaring about a house they probably can’t even see. It must be a charm, that’s the only explanation Eli can come up with.

“After you, Eli!” Nozomi gestures.

Eli ducks her head, her gaze returning to a more furtive one; a comfortable habit as she gives Nozomi a quiet thank you. 

She steps back into the city jungle. The next part of her adventure, it seems, is just beginning.

\---

It’s another day at the Japanese Ministry for Umi. She’s sitting, bent over her desk, struggling to get through all of the new paperwork that seems to have appeared over night. It had been a long night for the auror, especially with an unexpected and annoyingly perceptive guest staying with them. Umi hadn’t gotten more than a few hours sleep before she’d needed to get ready for work. The only solace she had gotten that morning had been under the hot running water in the shower. And even that hadn’t been enough to wash away the tired.

With her eyes straining to read the last report of attacks in near Akihabara, she finds she can’t look at another word. She puts the paper down and tries to rub away the weariness at the corners of her sight.

The sound of a saucer being placed next to her on her desk brings her out of her thoughts. She looks up to see someone smiling at her. Ashen hair perfectly in place, the little loop of hair on the side seeming to defy gravity as it forms a cute bun, held in place by a green bow.    
  
_ ‘Kotori.’ _ Umi thinks with a sigh of relief. Finally, something pleasant in her day. 

Kotori giggles as she perches herself on the edge of Umi’s desk. “Someone’s happy to see me...”

Umi turns away from Kotori’s knowing gaze and picks up the cup of tea, blowing across its surface as she tries to collect herself and ignore the fact that her face had taken on a light tinge of color. Think of something else, Umi. Anything else. 

“Aw, did I catch you by surprise? It’s cute, ya know.” Kotori continues with a light kick of her legs before she crosses one over the other, her pink skirt falling into delicate place atop them as she rests there.

“I told you not to read my mind.” Umi clears her throat, but the chiding is very gentle. It only makes Kotori giggle more.

“Sorry, sorry!” she laughs it off and stops herself from teasing her friend further. She gives a light sigh as she watches Umi go back to her paperwork.

“You should be eating lunch, you know. It’s not good to work on an empty stomach..”

Umi replies with a noncommittal grunt. It didn’t matter if she’d eaten yet, she had paperwork to do. She could always eat later. 

Kotori isn’t pleased with the response but she knows that Umi is stubborn enough that the argument wouldn’t currently be worth it.

“Hard day?” Kotori probes after a minute of silence. 

“Mmm...” Umi takes another sip of her tea as she finishes reading the report. It’s good tea, she thinks. But then again, Kotori made it. “Tiring, more than anything. But that’s--”

“--that’s the Auror department for you.” Kotori finishes and Umi sends a glare her direction.

“That wasn’t reading your mind, that was simple deduction. You always say it.”

Umi purses her lips. Kotori did have a point, but she says nothing more on the subject.

Another moment of silence. 

“Anything I can help with?” Kotori asks, slowly walking her fingers across a file on Umi’s desk. She gets as close as Umi’s arm before Umi pulls away subconsciously. She misses Kotori’s frown because she’s too wrapped up in the details of the report. 

When Umi doesn’t even answer her, Kotori sighs again and sets her chin on her hand, staring at the wall. Hanging there was a map, covered with pins marking the location of incidents. Above it was a punch of notes scribbled in Umi’s neat handwriting detailing the crimes and locations. And a drawing of a black signet ring with a black diamond set into its face pinned to the board. The note next to it read ‘Obsidian’. With her curiosity peaked, Kotori hops off the desk and walks over to it, inspecting the map of attacks that Umi had marked out. She’d read a bit about the attacks in the newspaper and heard a few rumors about the office. Mostly muggles had been attacked but several wizards had been involved as well making it officially a wizarding matter.

It isn’t until Umi turns to thank Kotori again for bringing her tea that she notices her missing from the edge of the desk. When she spots her staring at the map her eyes widen.

“Kotori, you shouldn’t be looking at that. It’s delicate Auror business. And we can’t let the details of the case get out!” Umi puts herself between Kotori and the map, crossing her arms and blocking her view.

“Oh, please. I already know most of what’s going on in the department whether they want me to or not.” Kotori smiles at her as she pats Umi’s arm before taking a step around her to continue looking.

Umi knows she’s right. She can’t help what Kotori knows but she would rather her not be exposed. She always wants to protect her from the grittier side of her job in the ministry. But what can she do when Kotori is so persuasive? 

Sighing, Umi goes back to her desk and sits on the edge of it as she watches Kotori examine the map. She takes solace in quiet times like this when everyone else is at lunch and it’s just her and Kotori. The silence is a welcome change from the normal hustle and bustle of the department during the rest of the day. And it doesn’t hurt that Umi gets an unguarded glimpse of her childhood friend. 

Silently, she wonders when Kotori got so tall or when her hair had gotten so soft. Was it always like that? Or had Umi just been dense in her younger years? There was a fair argument for that, Umi knew but she wishes she hadn’t spent so many year trying to deny her feelings for the other girl. Her eyes naturally wander to the hem of Kotori’s skirt, traveling down her stockinged legs...

“You’re staring..” Kotori’s voice travels in a sing-song fashion, giving Umi goosebumps up and down her arms. She hasn’t even looked away from the map.

Umi looks away, scratching her cheek in embarrassment. “S-sorry. Habit.”

Another giggle from Kotori. She’s now striding back to Umi and stands in between her legs in front of the desk. 

“Well, not that I mind...” Kotori murmurs before she leans in and gives Umi a kiss. 

Umi melts into the kiss but soon catches herself and pulls away. It’s not that she didn’t like it, it’s just that she needs to be more professional than this. And Kotori is definitely her weak spot when it comes to being ‘professional’. 

“Kotori..” Umi whines, her neck and ears a bright crimson of heated embarrassment. “Not at work..”

Kotori doesn’t seem care as she nuzzles against Umi’s cheek. “There’s no one around. They are all at lunch.”

She does have a point, Umi concedes. She leans forward and kisses Kotori back, feeling brave for just a moment.

Kotori hums happily into the kiss. When it’s over she wraps her arms around Umi and leans into her. Umi is also smiling stupidly. Kotori likes her when she’s acting this cute. They let the silence linger around them.

“So, does this mean you’re gonna take me to dinner?” Kotori prods gently. 

Ah, so that is her motive. Umi chuckles. 

“Well, as much as I’d love to, I have a lot of work. Afternoon patrols and then I was going to stay late to finish up the rest of this paperwork..”

This earns a pout on Kotori’s face and she stands back up to look at Umi. In this instance, Umi knows she’s screwed even before the words leave Kotori’s mouth. She knows she’s going to agree.

“Umi..” Kotori puts on the innocent kitten eyes for her girlfriend. “ _ Please? _ ”

Umi sighs and reassures Kotori that yes she will be taking her to dinner.

“But only if you let me get back to work.”

“Deal!” Kotori squeals and plants one last kiss on Umi’s cheek. “Just finish your tea before you get back to it. Gotta keep up your strength,” she smiles. 

“Yes, ma’am.” Umi chuckles as Kotori exits the office and Umi resumes hunching over her paperwork. She best get going if she was gonna finish all of this by dinner time.

\---

“So, where ya goin’ to meet this person with the Mackie thing?” Nozomi asks as she walks next to Eli, a spring in her step. Clearly she’s excited for the outing.

“ _ Mackled Malaclaw _ ,” Eli corrects; her eyes on the crowd in front of her. She’s having difficulty navigating it but at least she isn’t having to chase after Nozomi this time.

“Right, sorry.  _ Mackled Malaclaw _ .” She apologizes. “Is there a shop that has one or...?”

Eli shakes her head. “No shop would carry them. Menageries are generally reserved for your standard everyday fare,” she explains as they take a right at the corner. “Owls, cats, frogs, rats, even snakes at times. But no Menagerie owner in their right mind would carry a Malaclaw. Not only are they far out of the price range of the average wizard but they aren’t exactly ‘pet’ material.”

“So, only special collectors like yourself would want one?”

“Basically. They serve a specific purpose most of the time. And their venom can be used in potions.”

“Then you’re gonna try a potion shop?” Nozomi guesses cheerfully. They’re approaching the large lanterned gate in the distance. 

“I might but it’s rare to find it there. Normally, you seek them out yourself on the coast or you find someone to get you one themselves. I’m looking for a trader. I used to know of a guy who traded around here and if he is still operating at all then he’ll be around Asakusa. Unfortunately, I don’t have any way to contact him directly,” Eli shrugs with a bit of unease. “So, I’ll have to take the chance that he’s still hanging around.”

They stick to the right side of the walk and avoid a majority of the oncoming crowd. It’s slow due to the time of day but the area still has plenty of Miju milling about that she’d like to avoid. She swings her case in front of her and holds it there, attempting to minimize the chance that someone might bump into it.

“Makes sense,” Nozomi nods. “I’d recommend that ya check the Apothecary first. It has a lot of Miju things but it’s actually run by a witch so ya can pick up other items there too as well as ask if she’s seen him. If another wizard’s been in and trading useful potions ingredients, she’ll have encountered him. Sometimes I pick up useful things myself for Umi’s potion work or my plants. The Masaki District may be the safest place to buy magical goods in the greater Tokyo area but it ain’t the only place.”

“I...did not know that.” The edges of Eli’s mouth tilt downward in concentration. She continues to think that befriending Nozomi was a good thing - especially considering the woman’s surprising knowledge about the area. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.”

“Sure thing! No one knows everything, ya know? And you’ve been out of town for a while now so it’s fine. I’ll show ya what I know while we’re here. Just consider me your personal tour guide for the day!” Nozomi beams at Eli.

Eli feels her face heat up a little at Nozomi’s blinding smile. She clears her throat and nods.

“That would be very helpful, thank you.” Eli offers a smile. It’s a little stiff, maybe awkward by some standards but Nozomi accepts it with gratitude as the two continue their walk.

The two women cross under the large gate and enter the shopping district. The open air shops line the walk, each one manned by Miju desperate to sell their wares. Eli can see many hand crafted items ranging from food to children’s toys to clothing in some stores. The traditional facades give the place a welcoming atmosphere.

It’s almost like being back in the Masaki District. There’s a magical aurora about the place, the way the people interact and the way there just seems to be something special about the Asakusa District. From the little old people sitting on the street side hocking their wares, to the new shops that have brought in some new liveliness, the place makes Eli feel comfortable. It reminds her of her grandmother. Eli knows that the woman would have liked it here; Eli can’t remember if she’d been during one of their trips to Tokyo way back when. The aesthetic allows Eli to remember the woman who she had never gotten to say goodbye to, celebrating her by visiting a shop or two and chatting with an old woman with eyes that are as blue as her own. 

She smiles and thanks the old woman. She takes her change and pockets the small trinket she’s purchased. Bidding goodbye to the woman, Eli turns to speak with Nozomi. However, Nozomi is not where she left her. Looking around, Eli spots Nozomi a few stalls down, chatting lively with a woman who runs the flower stall. 

They sell more than flowers, but the flowers are their main display. She watches as Nozomi picks her way through a selection of flowers and to the back of the stall. The shopkeeper explaining the new species of plants that have just arrived and the flowers that are on sale; she hoped to interest Nozomi enough into making a sale. Nozomi carefully listens to each word that the shopkeeper says, chuckling at little anecdotes and providing her own knowledge in return, clearly impressing the woman running the shop. 

Eli makes her way nearer and stands just beyond the opening of the flower stall, watching a bit longer. She gets distracted briefly by the tiger lilies near the cashier’s counter. 

“And where did you get these?” Nozomi asks the shopkeeper. She’s found her way to the very back of the shop and is eying a what looks to be pot of white lily. 

“Oh, those? They were a special item that one of our gardeners dropped off. He didn’t really know what it was. It seems to be in the Lilium family but he had never come across one like this before,” the woman explains. 

Nozomi’s interest is peaked. She’s examining the petals with her fingers. Her touch is delicate, caring, as if she’s invested in the flower’s full story now. A look of recognition crossing her features. She smiles softly. 

“I would agree with that assessment.” Nozomi nods. “But why’s it all the way back here if it’s something so rare? I’d think lots of people would want to buy it.”

Nozomi looks like she knows the answer but that she wants to hear the shopkeeper say it.

“Well, I did have it out on display at the front. Because, you know, it was rarer flower and I thought someone might come along and want it.” The woman makes her way to the back of the shop. She hasn’t noticed Eli standing where she is. “But it didn’t fare very well. At first I thought it just didn’t like direct sunlight but everywhere I moved it where there was sun it didn’t take to it and started to look pretty sad and droopy.” 

The woman’s hand replaces Nozomi’s on the flower. Nozomi’s watching her and the flower intently. 

“But since I moved it into the deep shade it is much happier.” She smiles at Nozomi. “Not completely healthy but much better each day. It always looks the best when I get here in the morning.”

“That’s great news that you found a solution,” Nozomi beams at her. Her eyes flicker over to Eli, instinctively knowing she is there. Eli’s ears burn for a second before Nozomi’s eyes go back to the shopkeeper.

“How much for it?’ Nozomi asks her.

The shopkeeper blinks. “Hmm? You want to buy it?” This certainly isn’t something she expected.

Nozomi nods. “Well of course! Why wouldn’t I? It’s a beautiful plant.”

“I agree it is,” the shopkeeper concedes. Nozomi’s already picked up the potted plant. “I just figured with it’s difficult situation you might not want it. No one else has wanted it...”

At this, Nozomi’s smile droops. Eli spots it immediately. But it doesn’t last. Nozomi shakes her head and is reaching for her purse. 

“Nonsense. It deserves a good home just like anyone or anythin’ else.”

“Alright then! You’re right!” the shopkeeper grins at her. “Come up to the front and I’ll make you a deal..”

\---

“I’m surprised you bought that thing,” Eli comments as they continue through the crowd towards the apothecary that Nozomi had mentioned. 

“Why so?” Nozomi asks, gripping the strap of her bag tightly.    
  
She’d put the flower she’d purchased inside her bag after they’d left to keep it away from sunlight. Her bag was small, but can fit the entire potted flower with little difficulty. A standard undetectable extension charm, Eli deduces.

“It just seems like an odd purchase.” Eli shrugs as she continues to walk. “If the plant will be so much trouble, why bother with it?”

Nozomi doesn’t answer, choosing to walk silently just behind Eli and to the side instead as she looks around at all the people. Eli frowns at the lack of answer. It was irritating to have someone ignore you when you asked them a direct question. But she too remains quiet; choosing to brood on it instead of bringing it up. The awkwardness is short lived, though, as Nozomi points just a block ahead of them.    
  
Looking up, Eli sees a wooden sign dangling from a metal post; the mortar and pestle emblem on it a dead giveaway that its a place that deals in Miju healing potions and other things. It was time to really get this show on the road. Eli hitches up her suitcase in one hand and sped up. Nozomi’s green eyes shine with amusement as she follows behind the hyper focused Eli. 

The tinkling of a bell sounds from overhead as Eli and Nozomi step through the door and into the dimly lit Apothecary shoppe. Eli scans the room as Nozomi lingers near a display of dried herbs.

The counter is occupied by a young woman in a green apron speaking with a man about a request. She gives the man her full attention but something about what they are talking about seems to bore the woman. She’s clearly going through the motions; that much is apparent to everyone but the man, who is too consumed with his own ‘urgent’ problem to notice the nuances of human interaction.

The urgent problem, of course, isn’t that urgent. Eli doesn’t catch much of their conversation beyond the words ‘hair tonic’ and ‘more attractive’, but she doesn’t really care to know more. Eli rolls her eyes as she listens to the man makes it  _ very _ clear to the shopkeeper that he must have something to fix the problem immediately. The shopkeeper is pleasant and acquiesces to help him; of course they have the thing he is looking for to help him!

The man looks greatly relieved, even as he fidgets with the brim of his hat in his hands. Reaching behind her to a number of bottles that she has on display, the shopkeeper picks out one with dark glass before handing to the many. Money is exchanged as well as polite words before the man leaves. The man doesn’t give Eli so much as a sideways glance as he passes her.

Eli watches and waits until she is sure that the man is outside the shop and well away from the door before she decides to approach the counter. When Eli looks back at the counter, the woman has already returned to checking her stock of bottles and ingredients on the wall behind her as she stands atop a small step ladder. Eli clears her throat and the woman turns back around, her eyes searching the shop before they land on Eli. The shopkeeper smiles apologetically and climbs back down, during off her hands in the process.

“Oh, hello! Sorry about that, I didn’t notice anyone was here.” She says as she repositions herself behind the counter proper and smoothes her apron down in the front.

“She has that effect on a lot of people,” Nozomi says, peaking her head around Eli to greet the shopkeeper, her braid dangling due to the angle she’s at.

Eli pouts slightly and stares at her companion as if to say take it back. Nozomi pats her on the arm with a chuckle before stepping into full view.

When the shopkeeper sees Nozomi, she grins more brightly. The previous boredom she had experienced with the man is all gone. 

“Ms. Tojo! It’s wonderful to see you again! Back for more Lavender? Or can I interest you in some of the Vetiver that I just got in? It’s extremely fresh.” The woman smiles pulling out a small clear bottle of vibrant green strands of grass.

Nozomi waves her off before leaning against the counter. 

“Not today. We’re here for something a little different.” She adds with a wink.

“Oooh.” the woman winks back at her conspiratorially as she pulls out a pouch of something from beneath the counter. “I got what you need right here. The usual amount?”

Eli’s nose catches the familiar scent of aconite again. This woman must know something about their family secret. But Eli keeps her lips zipped. Nozomi doesn’t know yet that she knows. And she’s sure that Umi hasn’t said anything to her since Nozomi’s behavior hadn’t changed from last night. So, she continues to watch Nozomi interact with the shopkeeper.

“No thanks, Aiko. I’ve got enough of that right now. Umi already stocked up, so maybe next time. But for now we’ve got other business today.”

“Wait, ‘we’?” 

It’s then that the woman, Aiko, catches up to what Nozomi has said.  _ We _ . She looks around the shop and back at Eli. She’s lost track of her again and looks sheepish for having done so. Eli gives a small, curt wave before she stepping forward, her case held in front of her. 

“Yes, we. My acquaintance here has indicated that you might be able to help me with something...specific.” Eli explains. 

The shopkeeper examines the stiffness in Eli’s posture for a moment before smirking and looking back at Nozomi.

“Where’d ya pick this one up, Nozomi? She looks likes she’s got an interesting story. So stiff. And also her dragonhide boots.” Aiko chuckles as she points down to Eli’s feet. “...are a dead giveaway if you know what you’re looking for. Not exactly ‘blending in’ are we, hmm?” 

“I blend...” Eli mutters to herself, shuffling her feet. This woman better have the information she’s looking for or else this was a waste of time. 

“More like she fell into my lap,” Nozomi snickers. “Or onto the floor of my workplace. She had a little run in with the regulars at Nicocchi’s place and got a little bruised up. Poor thing didn’ have a place to stay the night so I offered my place.”

Even though it is clear that Nozomi is teasing her, Eli still doesn’t much care for it. The tips of her ears are burning as she stands there. 

“I’m right here, you know...” Eli grumbles, only causing Nozomi’s amusement to grow.

Their interaction does not go unnoticed by the shopkeeper, Aiko. She shakes her head and laughs but she is willing to go ahead with whatever they need. 

“Alright, what can I help you ladies with today? Nozomi’s my best customer, Wizarding or otherwise, so a friend of hers is a friend of mine,” AIko leans on the counter, still watching Eli with a smile.

Eli grips her case handle a little more tightly. 

“I’m looking for information on a man, actually,” Eli straightens up, looking at the shopkeeper. Enough of the small talk. “He trades around the area sometime, doesn’t go near the Misaki District because he tends to trade in commodit--”

“--illegal things, got it.” Aiko interrupts. “Well, I know of a few people like that. Got any other descriptors besides ‘male’?”

As Eli goes into more detail to Aiko, Nozomi browses around the shop a little more. She sees the normal Miju fair but blended into the selection in the back corner are some recognizably Wizarding faire. She grabs a few bottles of wormwood before browsing further. Her interest is peaked when she comes across a small bottle of dried silverish flecks. She’s so lost in examining it that she doesn’t here AIko call her name. When it finally parses, she turns back to look at the two women. Eli looks impatient and ready to go.

“Sorry, what did ya say?” Nozomi offers a sheepish smile before adding the bottle to her growing collection of ingredients, hiding it behind another bottle of peppermint oil.

“I said that you two best be careful. Naruko isn’t anyone to mess with so be on your guard. He generally has what you want but just keep your eyes open for trouble.”

Nozomi quirks an eyebrow at that.Well, Aiko had said that this man dealt in illegal things so that makes sense. But both of these facts increase Nozomi’s curiosity tenfold as to what Eli is getting herself into or exactly why she is in Tokyo. She’s had a hunch she hasn’t gotten the whole truth up until now. 

“What do you mean ‘you two’?” Eli frowns. “I’m the one going to meet with him, not Nozomi.”

Nozomi tsks as she walks back to the counter. 

“Now, Eli, don’t think I’m gonna let ya wander off to meet some shady guy all by yourself. What kind of friend would I be if I let ya do that and somethin’ happened to you?”

“We’re not friends.” Eli deadpans. “We just met yesterday.”

Nozomi doesn’t acknowledge what Eli says and begins to pay for the few bottles she’s picked out. Aiko raises an eyebrow at the bottle of silverish flakes before looking at Nozomi. A silent exchange occurs before a monetary one follows, and Nozomi is placing the bottles into her bag along with the other things she’s picked up. 

“Alright you two, come visit my shop again! And be careful. There are a lot of Miju out there today since its the weekend.” Aiko waves them out the door. 

The noise of the busy street hits their ears again, causing Eli to have to take a moment to get her bearings.

“So, where’re we headed?” Nozomi nudges her. 

\---

“I’m serious, you’re not coming with me....” Eli grumbles as she hoists her case with one hand again and pulls up the collar of her coat with the other. She steps into the crowd increasing her face, hoping to lose Nozomi in the process. She doesn’t need company for this particular meeting.

But despite her best efforts, Nozomi’s right by her side, keeping pace with her regardless of the difference in their length of legs. The vein in Eli’s temple twitches in annoyance.

“You don’t get to just come along because you have nothing better to do, you know?” Eli snipes. She takes a left.

“I have plenty of ‘better’ things to do,” Nozomi grins up at her, still at her side. Eli isn’t gonna shake her that easily. “It’s just that this is far more interesting than anything else that I coulda been doin’ otherwise. Plus, I wanna meet this Naruko. He sounds interesting.”

Eli rolls her eyes. “Well, he isn’t exactly your average man-on-the-street, but he isn’t a three headed dog. Nothing  _ that _ interesting about him. He just may have what I am looking for.”

“And what is that exactly?” 

Eli glances at Nozomi, wondering what she meant. 

“I already told you what I’m looking for,” she says, pointedly, lowering her voice. “A Mackled Malaclaw.”

“Right,” Nozomi hums. “That’s what you did say...but I don’t think that’s all of it. Ya see, ya didn’t say what ya needed it  _ for _ and that’s where I’m curious. So, I’m gonna tag along. And there’s no stopping me otherwise.” 

Eli stops at an intersection and just stares at Nozomi. She really isn’t going to take no for an answer. Eli thinks briefly about continuing arguing with this insufferable, purple-haired woman, but in the end she feels like she’ll just waste more time she could be using to look for Alisa by doing so. She lets out a long sigh of frustration as she pinches the bridge of her nose.

“Fine, but let me do the talking. This really isn’t any place for you and if anything bad happens, your sister will curse me into oblivion.” Eli points a finger at Nozomi. Not to mention what a young, capable werewolf will do to her when she finds out. Eli doesn’t want to think about any of those possibilities.

“Don’t worry about Umi, she’s harmless.” Nozomi waves off the idea and the two continue walking once the minor car and carriage traffic clear. 

“Maybe to you, but I’m not her sister.” Eli laughs dryly. “I’m sure she’d have no qualms eliminating me from the face of the earth with one flick of her wand.”

She tries not to shudder at that thought. But now's not the time. 

‘Focus Eli. Gotta make a deal and then ask for more information. Don’t worry about that and don’t be nervous. Naruko will smell it on you and take advantage of that during the meeting,’ she tells herself, but Nozomi’s voice penetrates her thoughts no matter how hard she tries to shut the other woman out. 

“Oh yeah, sure, she’s good at her job when it comes to the bad guys,” Nozomi concedes, unaware of Eli’s growing state of distress. “But you’re not a bad guy and she definitely wouldn’t hurt ya if I told her not to, that it wasn’t your fault. She looks more serious than she actually appears. Deep down inside she’s just a big ol’ teddy bear.” 

“More like a grizzly bear..” Eli mutters.

“What was that?” 

“Nothing. Just thinking that that is quite an image,” Eli adds with a shrug of her shoulders. 

“True. But it does fit. I’ve known Umi a lot longer than ya, so just trust me on that one. She’s protective but not unreasonable.”

With nothing more to add to the subject, Eli nods before looking around. They are nearing their destination: A small tea shop located on the edge of the Asakusa area. 

The information that Eli had gotten out of Aiko tells her that Naruko likes to haunt this particular tea shop during the afternoon. It’s his meet up point for those that might seek him out and from what she had understood, Aiko had used it to meet with him more than once in recent history; even using him to supply a very hard to get pouch of Venomous Tentacula seeds. Predictability is definitely a good thing. It allows Eli to find him with little effort, but it also means that others can find him with little effort too and that might mean trouble. She swallows and thinks over her plan before looking at Nozomi who stands next to her, waiting for the cue to enter the building.

When she looks over, Nozomi smiles brightly at her. “So, what’s the plan, Stan?”

“Stan?” Eli quirks an annoyed eyebrow. “My name’s not ‘Stan’.”

“I know that, silly,” Nozomi giggles. Can Eli really be that dense? “It’s just a sayin’. Ya really don’t get out much do ya?”

Eli doesn’t comment. Instead, she turns back to look at the door ahead of her. It opens, revealing a lush scene of round tables and tranquil decorations. The smell of fragrant tea wafts out of the open door as a couple of men exit and turn left down the sidewalk.

“Just don’t say anything weird.” This is Eli’s way of not arguing with Nozomi any further about her attendance. It’s the closest that Eli will get to agreeing to her being there. 

Recognizing this, Nozomi gives her the brightest smile possible. “Wouldn’t dream of it!”

Giving Nozomi a curt nod, Eli steps forward, taking the steps two by two into the tea shop.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the beginning of my Fanatastic Beasts and Where to Find Them AU featuring Eli Ayase as my beloved Newtles type character :3
> 
> This story is a labor of love that I've been working on the world building for and I'm pleased to finally begin publishing it. Updates should be expected around one week apart at the earliest. Two weeks apart at the latest. 
> 
> That being said I hope you enjoy my take on this story. Leave some good feedback for me in the comments and feel free to visit me on Tumblr (Icaruswings87.tumblr.com)
> 
> (Cover art is by the very talented Todd Craven. Go look at their awesome stuff on tumblr. Skiretehfox.tumblr.com)


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